


Lemuria

by Chibiyosei



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Assassins, Atheist Character, Barista Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun, Battle, Because I can, Birth Secrets, Death, Discrimination, F/M, Fantasy elements, Fluff, Forever 21, I said MAGIC, I tried tho, I'm Bad At Summaries, Kingdoms, Kings & Queens, Magic, Mentions of Myth & Folklore, Nonhuman, Not like witches and wizards tho, Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Royalty, Sassy Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Spies, Takes place in the real world, That's right, Virus, Zombies, hidden identities, johnny being a flirt, jung jaehyun being a cutie, let the games begin, magical abilities, mark being adorable, markhyuck if you squint, mentions of Taeyong - Freeform, nct127 - Freeform, slightly irreverent, warriors - Freeform, yuta being yuta
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:21:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 46,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22829374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibiyosei/pseuds/Chibiyosei
Summary: Kaya Lee has never dated anyone.Well, not officially.Sure, she's liked a few people here and there, but for some reason those flings were never more than that; flings.Will that change when she meets Jung Jaehyun, the cute barista next door to her workplace?Or will Kaya yet again be thwarted by fate as she discovers world-changing secrets about herself that she never knew before?
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Original Character(s), Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Original Female Character(s), Suh Youngho | Johnny/Original Character(s), Suh Youngho | Johnny/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 6





	1. Shortstack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaya gets unexpected news.

3 minutes in, Kaya was taking heat. She grit her teeth, leaning forward and furiously smashing the keys on her keyboard. She could do this. She was practically a pro by now. She could do it. Kaya was confident.

3 minutes and 20 seconds in and she was dead. She growled impatiently under her breath as she waited, fingers tensing and eyes crossing as they focused on the death timer. It was a simple mistake. After she revived she would chase that taunting jerk down and teach him a lesson.

3 minutes and 25 seconds in and she was alive again. She again began furiously smashing the keys as she chased after her killer. She could do this. She KNEW she could do this. Kaya could see him, hiding in a bush where he thought it was safe…

She closed in on him.

Almost there.

Just a few more seconds...

3

2

“MEOW!”

She startled, letting out a very undignified yelp. Her killer took the chance and killed her again. Kaya groaned and looked down at her ginger cat.

“Jack! What are you doing, oh my god, I had a heart attack, you furball,” she scolded her cat. Jack stared balefully at her, meowing again. Kaya glanced at the oven clock. _6:02._

“Dude, it’s only 2 minutes after 6. You can wait another 15 minutes.”

“Mrrrooooow.”

“Dude.”

“MrrrrRRRROOOOWWWWWW.”

“Okay, fine, I said FINE, I’ll get it in a minute, just let me tell my team that my cat is being an asshole and I’ll get your treat!”

Kaya quickly messaged her teammates, _Sorry, cat wants treat, back in 2 min_. She got up abruptly, scraping the chair roughly against the hardwood floor in her hurry. She carefully stepped over her cat and skipped to the fridge- because skipping is faster than walking and more efficient than running, damn it- and hurriedly got out the partially eaten can of kitty treat. She grumbled as she scooped it out onto a plate.

_My cat owns my life more than I do.._ Kaya sighed as she set the plate on the floor. Jack started wolfing down his treat (the ungrateful creep didn’t even meow a ‘thank you’) as she rushed back to her computer where her teammates were having a meltdown in the group chat.

_6:02pm xx_nekochan_xx: wtf ur cat can wait_

_6:03pm xx_nekochan_xx: **** where tf are u_

_6:03pm xx_nekochan_xx: if u don’t come back soon i’m reporting u_

_6:04pm xx_nekochan_xx: reported *****_

_6:04pm xx_nekochan_xx: hope ur cat chokes_

_6:04pm MisterBigD: wtf is wrong with u_

_6:05pm Fishball: muted and reported_

_6:05pm MisterBigD: don’t u like cats wtf ur username_

_6:05pm Fishball: muted and reported_

_6:05pm MisterBigD: stfu ******_

Kaya's eye twitched as she hissed a word that her parents would certainly not approve of. League players were such assholes. Why did she play this game again? Kaya shook her head. She could report him later, but first she had some business to take care of with that taunting idiot from earlier..

\----

Twenty minutes later Kaya sighed, the tension leaving her body as she leaned back in the uncomfortable wooden chair and wrapped her fluffy pink blanket around her shoulders. She stared blankly at the red letters flashing on the computer screen.

_DEFEAT_

She was honestly surprised the game lasted as long as it had; her teammates did very good impressions of lemmings running off a cliff. So good, in fact, that she wondered if she was being punk’d. Could people get punk’d in league games? Maybe….

As Kaya contemplated lemmings and getting punk’d, her mother came in from the other room.

“Kaya.”

Kaya ignored her, still contemplating lemmings. Why did lemmings commit mass suicide when they could see the end coming? Why not run the other way?

“ _Kaya_.”

Kaya ignored the impatience in her mother’s voice again. She knew that lemmings were driven by strong migratory urges, often leading them to swim across large bodies of water. But why jump off a cliff? Surely that’s an obvious death? Doesn’t that contradict some evolutionary instinct to survive?

“Kaya!” her mother snapped, finally losing the rest of her patience. “You got hired at Forever 21! They want you to come in for orientation on March 1st.”

Kaya gaped at her mother, all thoughts of lemmings pushed from her mind.

“But they never emailed me back about the interview! I haven’t had an interview yet! How are they hiring me without an interview?” she shot at her mother, taken aback. As far as she knew, retail jobs always had interviews. If they weren’t able to arrange a group interview, they would at least set up an individual interview. And if they didn’t do that, well..

There was only one reason they wouldn’t arrange an interview.

“Mom, am I being punk’d?”

Kaya's mother rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips in that stop-wasting-my-time-with-your-nonsense pose that she loved so much.

“No Kaya, you’re not being ‘punk’d,’” she sighed. “I talked to the hiring manager, Robb, and he said all the other applicants cancelled, and your resume looked impressive enough that they didn’t feel an interview was necessary.”

“Wait- all the other applicants cancelled?”

“Yes, that’s what I said.”

“As in, they retracted their apps?”

“Yes, Kaya, that’s what I said.”

“Isn’t that a bad sign?”

Her mother frowned, thinking about it. “Well.. I suppose it’s the virus that’s been going around. People probably don’t want to work in public places,” she waved her hand dismissively. “Anyways, this is the only job that you’ve heard back from, so you should take it. It’ll be good for you to do something other than play games all day.”

It was Kaya's turn to roll her eyes. Of course her mother thought she only played games all day. As if she didn’t have a life. Kaya did plenty of things every day, like reading fanfics, petting Jack, listening to music, playing with Jack, scrolling through her feed on instagram, feeding Jack……

All right. Maybe she did need a life.

“I guess I’m a working woman now,” Kaya grinned cheekily at her mom. “Better dead from a virus than from gaming all day, right?”

\----

_2 days later_

Kaya walked into the store ten minutes early, feeling very nervous and very uncertain. She hadn’t been certain what to wear or do to her general appearance so she had gone with a dark green turtleneck and black high-waisted pants, layered with a light green cardigan on top. Most Forever 21 employees wore makeup too (Kaya was still debating whether it was a uniform thing or just a personal choice) so she had decided to do a very simple winged liner with a bit of lip tint (to actually look alive and not like a dead fish). She had also taken the time to shower that day, so her hair fell softly on her shoulders, green highlights matching her clothes. 

  
She felt good. She felt clean.

  
She felt nervous.

  
“Kaya?” a familiar voice called. Kaya whipped her head around, eyes widening in recognition.

  
“Sophie! What are you doing here?” she laughed as her best friend walked up to join her, smiling. “Didn’t you say you were starting your new job today?”

  
“Yeah, I am. I’m working here now, I’m pretty sure I told you?” Sophie stared at Kaya quizzically.

  
“Wait, what?” Kaya gasped in excitement. Then she frowned. 

  
“No, I think I’d remember you saying that..”

  
“But I told you last night! I’m pretty sure!”

  
“I’m telling ya, that message doesn’t exist!”

  
“Are you sure…”

  
“Fine, let me check,” Kaya said challengingly as she whipped out her phone. “If I’m right, then you treat me to boba. If you’re right, you get to pet my cat for an hour.”

  
“Deal. Check.”

  
She scrolled through their chat history, determined to win the bet.

  
It had always been their thing to make a bet out of disagreements they had with each other. Kaya liked to challenge people and Sophie was never one to back down from a fight, which made for an interesting push-and-pull kind of friendship. Sometimes one of them could take it too far, like the time that Kaya had bet Sophie she wouldn’t use a horrible pickup line on the guy she liked in exchange for borrowing Kaya's precious white boots, or the time Sophie had bet that Kaya wouldn’t be able to ignore her cat for a full day in exchange for Sophie's second BTS concert ticket. But at the end of the day they were always able to resolve their issues with each other- because that’s what best friends do.

  
Kaya smirked triumphantly. 

  
Best friends also buy each other boba when they lose bets.

  
“See, you never said _where_ you were working,” Kaya said as she gleefully thrust her phone in her best friend’s face.

  
_Messages 3/1/20:_

  
_whoissophiechiu 2:07am:_

_I was gonna exercise_

_like, i finally found motivation to pull out my yoga mat_

_i did two lunges and a squat_

_and i gave up_

_not today_

_LOLOL_

  
_kakakakaka YA 2:08am:_

_LMAO_

_Pathetic_

  
_whoissophiechiu 2:08am:_

_now i’m sitting on my yoga mat trying to convince myslef to do a 10 minute one_

_where is my motivation_

  
_kakakakaka YA 2:10am:_

_Why are u exercising at 2am tho_

  
_whoissophiechiu 2:10am:_

_cause i have been trying to get myself to do it since 12am_

_oh look there’s 10 min exercise in bed_

  
_kakakakaka YA 2:11am:_

_Omg_

  
_whoissophiechiu 2:11am:_

_it’s just as hard if not harder tbh cause bed is soft and unstable_

_its a trickkkkkkk_

_or should I do a 10 min arm workout so I can still sit on my mat but workout at the same time so i don’t feel guilty anymore_

  
_kakakakaka YA 2:13am:_

_Or you can just sleep_

  
_whoissophiechiu 2:13am:_

_u right_

_I’m starting my new job tmr too_

  
_kakakakaka YA 2:14am:_

_O rlly?? Me too ayeee_

  
_whoissophiechiu 2:14am:_

_yeah so I guess I should sleep lol_

_nite~_

  
Kaya smirked at her friend as she put the phone down. 

  
“You owe me one large green apple slush!” she crowed, waggling her eyebrows at her friend. “I’d like it no later than tonight please, you can get it after-”

  
“Sophie?” a masculine voice interrupted. 

  
The two of them turned to face a middle-aged man wearing an employee ID with the name _Robb_ on it. He wore glasses that didn’t do much to hide the dark bags under his eyes. His hair was already turning grey, although he couldn’t have been older than 45. 

  
As Kaya was busy wondering what could have caused a middle-aged man working in retail to look 20 years older, he looked at each of them in turn before settling on Kaya and repeated questioningly, “Sophie Chiu?”

  
“Ah, no…” she jolted back to reality. “I’m Kaya. Kaya Lee. This-” she motioned to Sophie next to her, “is Sophie.”

  
The man’s mouth pursed slightly at his mistake. 

  
“Ah, my mistake. Well since both of you are here, let’s head on over to my office. Everybody has been waiting. I’m Robb, by the way.”

  
Kaya tilted her head, exchanging a confused look with Sophie. Wasn’t the orientation supposed to begin at 2pm? Nevertheless, they followed the man- no, _Robb_ , she reminded herself- back to his office. 

As they stepped through the doorway, the first thing Kaya noticed was that the office was less of an office and more of a storage room. The cluttered space was filled with boxes on boxes of what she could only imagine to be clothing, barely leaving any room for the six chairs that were arranged in a semicircle in the center of the room. 

  
The second thing she noticed was that three of the chairs were currently occupied; two were occupied by very fine specimens of the male species, and one by a cute girl. _It seems like there’s plenty of great products in this store._ The corners of her lips quirked upwards, amused at her own joke. What would happen if she said that out loud?

  
Before Kaya had the chance to do anything stupid, however, the aging man- no, _Robb_ , damn it- beckoned her and Sophie to take a seat. 

  
“Now that we’re all finally here-” he sent a pointed look at Kaya and Sophie, the two of them hurrying to take a seat, “I’d like to welcome you to orientation here at Forever 21. I understand all of you have experience in retail already, so none of this should be too new for anyone. First things first, I’d like us to go around and introduce ourselves very briefly, just so you know each others’ names.” 

  
Kaya's eyebrows raised slightly. Did they usually do this in Forever 21 orientations? As far as she knew, it was already strange that they had everybody come in together when orientation was just a bunch of paperwork, preparation for customer service, and, if they were lucky, a tour of the store. 

  
Well, whatever. She wouldn’t complain about being able to put names to faces. 

  
“Starting from the left, can you say your name and one thing about yourself please,” Robb not so much asked as demanded.

  
The guy sitting in the very left chair shifted uncomfortably at being put on the spot. Kaya took this opportunity to take in his appearance. He looked young- actually everybody in the room was young except for Robb, if she was being honest- and had blond hair and was wearing a soft pink hoodie that reached the palms of his hands. 

  
_Sophie must be screaming right now_ , Kaya laughed in her head. Sure enough, when she shot a glance at her best friend, she had donned that perfectly blank face that meant she was trying not to show her emotions to anybody. Kaya snickered internally, knowing her friend’s weakness for sweater paws, and turned back to continue her examination of the cute boy. 

  
Despite his soft choice in clothing, his eyes were sharp and cat-like, with angled eyebrows that made him look edgy, and slightly pouted lips that only brought out his cat-like qualities. Overall, he looked like a disgruntled cat. Kaya watched as he opened his mouth to speak, wondering what he looked like when he smiled. Would he still look like an angry kitty? 

  
“Hello, my name is Yuta and…” he hesitated, clearly thinking about a safe answer to give, “my favorite color is yellow.”

  
Kaya's lips pressed together slightly, disappointed by the lack of information the boy- Yuta- gave. 

  
She soon learned that the second boy was a flirty-looking guy named Johnny. His eyes were longer than Yuta’s and his eyebrows less angled, giving him an easygoing appearance. His hair was medium brown. He wore a casual striped black and white button-up that was tucked into his jeans, paired with white sneakers. 

  
If Yuta was a grumpy cat, Johnny was definitely a mischievous one. Something about the way his lips were curled made him look like he was constantly on the verge of smirking- a sure sign of trouble. 

  
Kaya had a feeling she could be good friends with him.

  
Much to her surprise, Johnny didn’t follow Yuta’s lead as she assumed he would- instead, he simply said, “I like coffee,” and sat back down.

  
Hm. Maybe they wouldn’t get along. She hated coffee. 

  
Next it was her turn. 

  
“Hi, I’m Kaya, and my favorite color is green. In case that wasn’t obvious,” she said as she waved to her outfit and hair. As she sat down, she pointedly made eye contact with Johnny, smirking slightly as she casually let slip, “Oh, and I hate coffee.” Johnny raised one eyebrow at her statement and casually smirked back. 

  
Okay. Maybe they could be friends after all. 

  
Next was Sophie, who got up and said, “Hi! I’m Sophie and I play the cello,” before promptly sitting down. 

  
Sophie hated ice breakers and made it her mission to get through them as quickly as possible; the downside was that sometimes she went through it too quickly and the poor girl would be asked to repeat what she had said. 

  
Such was the case now, it seemed, because although Kaya had understood what she said, to everybody else it sounded like “Hiimsophieandiplaythe-” she had stopped to breathe, “cello!” 

  
Robb asked Sophie to repeat herself, which Sophie did, but not without turning a bright shade of red. Someone chuckled quietly and Kaya whipped her head around to find the person who dared laugh at her best friend (not that she wasn’t laughing, but she was allowed to, what are best friends for otherwise) but unfortunately couldn’t catch them in time. Kaya made a mental note to figure out who it was later as she turned back to her final coworker.

  
The last person to introduce themselves was the cute girl- the only other girl present aside from Kaya and Sophie. 

  
“Hello, my name is Lucy but you can call me Luce, and I like motorcycles.” 

  
Kaya's jaw dropped as she stared at the cute girl. Motorcycles? Where did that come from? She looked around the room and it looked like everyone else was having a similar reaction, including Robb himself; nobody expected the cute girl wearing a fluffy oversized pink sweater and white skirt to like something as _dirty_ and _uncute_ as motorcycles. 

  
Kaya took in the girl's appearance again, as if somewhere on her body it would say ‘HUGE MOTORCYCLE LOVER. ALSO INTO ROCK MUSIC AND HEAVY METAL.’ But of course, there was no such sign. In fact, all she could tell was that Lucy liked cats (she was wearing cute cat socks) and had bad eyesight (she was wearing round glasses with thick lenses). Huh. 

  
Orientation was turning out to be more interesting than she had anticipated.

\----

After everybody had introduced themselves, Robb took them through the normal process of paperwork, customer service training (a must in retail stores), and luckily for them, a short tour of the premises. Everything passed by in a blur, and soon enough orientation was over. 

  
As Kaya walked out with Sophie, making plans about seeing the new horror movie that was coming out in a week, a voice called out to her from behind.

  
“Hey, coffee hater!”

  
Kaya turned to see Johnny with a flirty smile on his face. She smiled back politely.

  
“What’s up, coffee snob?” she fired back.

  
“Oo, feisty. I like it.”

  
“Yeah? Me too.”

  
Johnny laughed, his eyes curving and giving him a bunny-like appearance. Cute.

  
“I wanted to ask you guys if you would be down to come to a mixer I’m throwing on Saturday night? I was thinking we could all get to know each other, since we’ll be working together from now on.”

  
Kaya exchanged a questioning look with Sophie. The two of them were supposed to have a lazy hang out that night, where they binged Netflix and chilled. Their weekly Netflix and chill nights usually consisted of pizza, mac n cheese, and loads of other junk food. They had started them a year ago after graduating college, and it had become a tradition for the two to reserve their Saturdays for Netflix and chill with each other. If they went to Johnny’s party, they would be breaking that unspoken rule for the first time.

  
“If you don’t want to go, it’s okay! I understand…” Johnny trailed off. 

  
Kaya looked up at him and saw that the smirk was back in full force. 

  
“...if you can’t _rise_ to the occasion,” he finished. 

  
She gasped in mock offense. There may have been an entire 12 inches difference in height between her and Johnny, but she refused to let that one slide. _Sorry Sophie_ , she thought. Netflix and chill night would have to be rescheduled.

  
“Did you just _look down on me_?”

  
“Well I sure didn’t look up to you,” he laughed; the bunny smile was back. 

  
“Whatever, tall boy. See you on Saturday.” Kaya flipped her hair at him and started to walk away, dragging Sophie with her.

  
“If you can, _shortstack_. And see you too Sophie!” Kaya turned back just in time to see him wink at Sophie. Sophie gasped in response, half shocked and half amused.

  
_Oh god_ , Kaya thought, a small smile playing on her lips.

  
Her new coworker was gonna be a handful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Green apple slush is like. The drink I grew up on. It's one of those things where you kind of realize it's not the best drink out there but because you grew up on it you just kinda ignore it and indulge your nostalgia. And I am a sucker for nostalgia. 
> 
> Also, Sophie is willing to bet for an hour of petting time with Jack because Sophie is crazy about dogs and cats. This mostly stems from the fact that she grew up in an apartment in the city and her family traveled a lot, so they couldn't have pets. Any time she comes over to Kaya's house, she fangirls super hard over Jack, Kaya's cat. That's also why Sophie was willing to trade an entire day of petting Jack in exchange with one of her BTS concert tickets. She just loves little animals *that* much.
> 
> Fun fact: Kaya likes to call her cat 'Jack-Jack' like the baby from the incredibles.
> 
> What's up with Kaya and Johnny? Will something happen between the two of them?
> 
> Keep reading to find out!


	2. No more wall cleaning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny's roommates aren't too thrilled about the mixer Johnny wants to throw.

Jaehyun yawned, closing the book he had been reading. He stretched leisurely and relaxed back into his armchair, looking as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Music played loudly from his headphones- so loud, it was a miracle he hadn’t gone deaf by now. 

  
  


_Jung Jaehyun, I’ve told you so many times, turn down your music! It’s so loud I think even I might go deaf!_ His mom would always scold him. 

  
  


Jaehyun smiled briefly at the thought of his mom, eyes dimming after a moment. He shook his head, turned his music up even louder, and sank further into his armchair, closing his eyes. The quiet peace of the apartment was rudely interrupted by the sound of someone throwing the door open.

  
  


“YO! Jaehyuns, what’s up, I brought back some McD’s, did you want any?” the intruder yelled as he put a brown bag on the counter.

  
  


Jaehyun didn’t move, neither hearing nor seeing his roommate. His roommate, already used to Jaehyun’s deaf-inducing tendencies, shook his head to himself as he walked over and pulled the earbud out of Jaehyun’s left ear.

  
  


“Jae. You’re gonna go deaf one day, mark my words bro.”

  
  


Jaehyun jerked in surprise at the feeling of his earbud being pulled out and turned to look up at his roommate, relaxing once he saw who it was.

  
  


“You sound just like my mother, Johnny.” Jaehyun chuckled.

  
  


Johnny grinned. “You flatter me.” He ran his hand through his hair, casually smoothing it down after.

  
  


“I brought some McD’s, did you want any? I’m assuming-” Johnny paused to look around the messy apartment, “that you haven’t gone outside today?”

  
  


“Damn, is it that obvious?”

  
  


“Only if you have eyes. Which, unfortunately, I do.”

  
  


Jaehyun laughed again, smiling sheepishly up at his roommate. 

  
  


“Guess I’m in your debt, Sir Johnny.” 

  
  


He got up from the armchair with a groan before shuffling to where his roommate had unceremoniously dumped the delicious-smelling bag of McDonald’s on the kitchen counter. 

  
  


“Where did you go today?” Jaehyun asked as he started digging through the bag.

  
  


“Aww, did my honey boo bear miss me?” Johnny batted his eyes at Jaehyun; it would’ve been more convincing if he hadn’t been failing to hold back his smirk. 

  
  


Johnny continued, “I went to orientation for my new job; met some new faces, made some new acquaintances,” he said casually. 

  
  


Uh-oh. Jaehyun had been friends with Johnny for five years and roommates for three. He knew what that tone meant. Jaehyun paused his search for a cheeseburger (why Johnny had gotten six 10-piece chicken nuggets was beyond him) to look at his roommate accusingly. 

  
  


“Who.”

  
  


“Who what?”

  
  


“Who is it.”

  
  


“I don’t know what you mean.” Johnny looked innocently at Jaehyun. 

  
  


Jaehyun sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with two of his fingers. His roommate did this every time he got into something new; during college that had meant every time Johnny decided he wanted to join a new club, and now it meant every time he started a new job.

  
  


“When?”

  
  


Johnny smiled cheerily at Jaehyun, dropping the innocent act. “This Saturday. 9PM.”

  
  


Jaehyun groaned, tossing his head back, brows furrowed and mouth lightly pouting. 

  
  


Curse his roommate and his popularity and need to socialize. Saturday was supposed to be his peaceful night in. Jaehyun didn’t mind socializing, but he liked to have at least one night a week where he could be a potato and read a book or watch Netflix. 

  
  


So much for that.

  
  


Damn Johnny.

  
  


“If it helps, I think you’ll enjoy it,” Johnny said.

  
  


Jaehyun raised his eyebrows. What was that supposed to mean? 

  
  


“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

  
  


“I guess you’ll have to wait and find out.” Johnny waggled his eyebrows. He looked like a clown. It made Jaehyun want to tape his eyebrows back into place.

  
  


Jaehyun narrowed his eyes. Johnny was up to something. He didn’t get to press Johnny further, however, before the sound of someone opening the door was heard.

  
  


“I’m back. Do we have food, or do I need to raid the convenience store again? Last time I did that, the manager lady nearly bit my head off.”

  
  


Jaehyun chuckled as their second roommate, Mark, came in through the door, looking like the world’s cutest tumbleweed.

  
  


“Wow. Windy much?”

  
  


Mark scowled back at Jaehyun. “I had to walk all the way from campus because I missed the bus and the next one didn’t come for another forty minutes. _Forty minutes_. Why don’t they have more buses on campus,” Mark complained.

  
  


“If Johnny had just picked up the phone when I was calling him I wouldn’t have had to walk in the wind..” Mark grumbled as he flopped on the couch next to Jaehyun’s armchair, hair sticking up in every direction. “Johnny where were you? Also is there any food, I haven’t eaten since last night because I was studying for my stupid midterm today.”

  
  


Johnny had the grace to look (somewhat) sheepish. He pointed towards the bag of McDonald’s that Jaehyun was currently raiding. Mark shot a quick thanks at Johnny and slid off the couch to join Jaehyun, who had given up on finding a cheeseburger and had pulled out one of the boxes of nuggets. What kind of human bought sixty chicken nuggets and nothing else? Didn’t Johnny need any variety in his diet? 

  
  


Jaehyun made a mental note to buy groceries next time he went out. If he relied on Johnny, he was pretty sure he would never see a vegetable again.

  
  


“I bought McD’s, have some. Sorry, I had orientation today and then, ah… Well. I got distracted.”

  
  


“What he really means,” said Jaehyun, “is that he got busy inviting people to have another mixer here on Saturday night.”

  
  


Mark’s head shot up at this admission, eyes widening. “Again? The last one was only a few weeks ago and I don’t want to have to clean the walls every three weeks!” He pouted at the elders. 

  
  


Johnny held up his hands in a placating gesture. “I know, I know, no more wall cleaning, I promise.”

  
  


Mark looked relieved, shoulders drooping. “So does that mean you won’t have it?” he asked hopefully.

  
  


Johnny grinned, a mischievous gleam in his eye. 

  
  


“I didn’t say that.”

  
  


Mark widened his eyes, alarmed. 

  
  


“But you said-”

  
  


“I said _no more wall cleaning_. I didn’t say anything about no more mixers!”

  
  


Mark turned to Jaehyun. “Will you please talk him out of it,” Mark begged, using his best puppy face.

  
  


Jaehyun looked at each of his roommates in turn and sighed. In times like these, he often acted as a peacemaker between the two. He had been looking forward to his peaceful Saturday night too, but if Johnny didn’t have this mixer then he would just set up another one anyways. 

  
  


They needed to compromise.

  
  


“How about this,” started Jaehyun. “Johnny, you can hold your mixer here on Saturday-” Johnny whooped with glee as Mark let out a complaint, “but in exchange, this has to be the last one for six months.”

  
  


This time it was Mark’s turn to whoop loudly and Johnny’s to pout. He thought about it for a moment before begrudgingly acquiescing.

  
  


“I guess I can hold them somewhere else for six months..”

  
  


Jaehyun clapped his hands together once in satisfaction while Mark fist pumped and busied himself with his chicken nuggets again.

  
  


“Alright! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna get back to my book.” 

  
  


Jaehyun walked back to the armchair he had been occupying pre-Johnny and settled in, making himself comfortable. As he was about to put his earbuds back in, he remembered something.

  
  


“Johnny?” 

  
  


Johnny turned to look at him, arching an eyebrow.

  
  


“Jaehyun?”

  
  


“No more wall cleaning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And FINALLY, we have Jaehyun!! WOOOOHOOOO. Let's get this partay starteeeeeeeeeed!!
> 
> *Ahem*
> 
> Anyways. 
> 
> I originally wasn't going to include Mark in this story, but I thought about it again, and ya know what, the boi is my biaswrecker, I can't NOT have him in the story. #repreSENT So ya, enjoy. I shall update the tags soon!
> 
> Incidentally, the wall cleaning they are referring to: every time Johnny has a mixer, someone ends up vomiting on the wall outside Mark's bedroom and poor Mark always has to clean it since it's "his wall" according to the other two boys. He's also the youngest (hence why he's in college and Jaehyun/Johnny are not) so the other boys use that as an excuse to make him do it. 
> 
> Jaehyun always ends up feeling bad for the poor kid though so he ends up helping every time. But JOHNNY, that dude, is always hungover af from the mixer so he doesn't help. Even if he did, he would probably just vomit on the wall all over again. What can I say? Dude knows how to throw a party AND how to party. 
> 
> If you can't tell already, Johnny's a little itty bit of a player, which is why Jaehyun asks him 'who' and not 'when' right away. Jaehyun knew that Johnny probably invited some cute girls (and sometimes guys) just by his wording. And yet, he just accepts it because they're besties. True friendship, right there.


	3. Constant Vigilance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaya is late for her first day of work.

It was Kaya’s first official day of work.

  
She was running late.

  
“Shit!” she hissed as she fumbled and dropped her keys. 

  
This shouldn’t have happened. She had made sure to set not only one, but two reminders on her phone on top of the two alarms she had set to make sure she left 10 minutes early.

  
Kaya glanced at the clock. _12:18_. She was supposed to be at work by 12:45, and it was a 20 minute drive. She had wanted to grab a quick snack, but that would have to wait. 

  
As if hearing her thoughts, Kaya’s stomach rumbled mutinously. Just what she needed- to be hungry on her first day of work. _This must be karma for binge watching the last season of Game of Thrones last night_ , she thought. _I knew I should’ve stopped after the third episode. That finale wasn’t even worth it!_ Kaya internally grumbled as she scooped her keys off of the floor and grabbed the rest of her things, stumbling in her hurry to get out the door and to her car.

  
“Mom, I’m going to work!” Kaya called out as she slipped her shoes on. “I’ll be back around 9!”

  
“Alright!” Her mom called back from the kitchen. “Why so late?”

  
“Gonna get dinner and hang with Sophie after! Gotta go, see you later!” Kaya replied, closing the door behind her. 

  
Kaya didn’t really need to tell her mom all this information- she was an adult after all- but her mom still liked to know and Kaya was used to telling her- a habit that had stuck with her since high school. What’s that saying? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?

  
Kaya half ran, half walked to her car, the wind styling her already untidy hair into a lovely bird’s nest. Kaya ignored the wind and clicked the remote, the car’s yellow lights flashing in response. She opened the door and tossed her stuff carelessly onto the passenger seat, quickly checking the car mirrors to ensure that, yes, none of them had mysteriously shifted since the last time she had driven the car. Having checked everything, she jammed the keys in the ignition, started the car, and started driving like the devil himself was after her. 

  
The last time she had left the house was probably about three days ago, for orientation. 

  
A lot could happen in three days.

  
For instance, it only took three days for a poorly monitored fire to wipe out two-thirds of the great city of Rome. Three days was also long enough for a presidential inauguration, long enough to paint a house, long enough to read a 500-page book, and long enough to prepare a contingency plan elaborate enough to evacuate 100,000 inhabitants of a city.

  
Three days was also long enough for Kaya to stalk Johnny Seo.

  
As of three days ago, she hadn’t known anything about the boy except for what he looked like, his first name, and that he had stupidly long legs that he used to crack jokes rather than anything useful.

  
Now, Kaya also knew that his last name was Seo, he was born on February 9, 1995 (only two years older than yourself), he was born and raised in Chicago but went to university in LA (and stayed after college, it seemed), he had relatives in Korea (they posted on his wall for his birthday), and he was bilingual in Korean and English. 

  
From his pictures on instagram, she could tell that he liked to go to various coffee shops in his free time, and he often posted pictures of him with his friends (and sometimes dates?), never the same two faces in each picture. So not only was the guy a coffee snob, but he was a flirt. A very social, popular, flirt. 

  
Kaya wasn't surprised.

  
She was, however, blessedly on time to work. She hopped out of the car, locking and honking it twice as she ran across the parking lot to the store. Just before she got to the entrance, she slowed down and raked her fingers through her messy hair, patting every hair into place. 

  
What? Just because she had left in a hurry and looked like a madman when she had been driving to work didn’t mean her coworkers had to know. First impressions can set the tone of a relationship with someone forever. While Kaya didn’t really mind being an idiot with her friends, she didn’t particularly want anybody to think of her as ‘crazy chicken-hair girl’ whenever they saw her. 

  
Satisfied with her job of smoothing down her hair, an aloof look settled on Kaya’s face as she strolled smoothly into the store. She made her way towards the back room for employees, spotting Sophie on her way in. Kaya grinned. The one good thing about today was that she and her best friend had the same shift. At least there would be someone to suffer through work with.

  
Kaya snuck up behind Sophie, tip-toeing so Sophie wouldn’t hear her. Kaya peered over her friend’s shoulder, seeing that she was on her phone. She snickered internally. Sophie’s guard was down.

  
“CONSTANT VIGILANCE!” Kaya whisper-screamed, jabbing Sophie in her sides with her fingers. Sophie startled, letting out a high-pitched yelp and almost dropping her phone. She spun around, eyes wide and clutching her phone to her chest. 

  
“Kaya! Oh my god! I almost dropped my phone because of you, you jerk!” Sophie complained. 

  
“Your guard was down, dear,” Kaya fluttered her eyelashes at her, a sickly sweet smile on her face. “Besides, I just reread Harry Potter number 4 yesterday, I needed to use that line on someone. And who better than my dear best friend?” she winked and shot finger guns at Sophie.

  
Sophie dodged the finger guns, grimacing in disgust, and went back to her phone, sending one last message before locking the screen and putting it in her bag. 

  
“You and your Harry Potter references. I swear, I’ve never even read the books but I’m pretty sure I know what the characters are like just from all your references.”

  
“Is that your way of saying thank you? You’re welcome!” Kaya replied as she put her stuff down and put her work lanyard on. 

  
“Whatever, let’s get to work.” Sophie rolled her eyes, used to Kaya’s crackhead antics.

  
Kaya smirked, nodding and looking down to adjust her lanyard around her neck as she walked out the door, Sophie behind her.

  
_Thump!_

  
“Ow…” Kaya groaned, reeling backwards from the impact and rubbing her forehead. A pair of hands shot out to steady her, one of them on her shoulder and the other hovering around her head.

  
“Oh man sorry, are you okay?” a voice asked.

  
Kaya looked up, scowling at the wall she had just run into. 

  
Suddenly, she was extra glad that she had fixed her hair earlier.

  
“Oh...no I’m fine, it’s okay Johnny,” Kaya did her best to smile reassuringly. Man, was this guy made of rocks or something? It felt like she had run into a wall. 

  
Johnny relaxed, relieved that Kaya still seemed coherent. 

  
“Okay. Great. Wouldn’t want to give you an excuse to miss the mixer on Saturday.” He bunny-smiled down at her.

  
Kaya could see why he would be popular. That smile was doing a funny thing to her insides. She cleared her throat, determined to quash the rebellious butterflies in her stomach. Johnny might be cute, and tall, and good at making height jokes, and bilingual, but she was not going to fall victim to his flirtiness. 

  
No, she was better than that. 

  
Kaya opened her mouth to tell him she had changed her mind about the mixer on Saturday, something suddenly came up, and she was sorry but there was nothing he could do to change her mind.

  
“Sor-” she said before a voice behind her interrupted.

  
“We’ll be there! We need your address though.”

  
In her surprise from running into Johnny (literally), she had momentarily forgotten that Sophie was still behind her. Kaya shot a horrified look at her best friend over her shoulder. Sophie didn’t see Kaya’s face, as she was busy looking up at Johnny. 

  
Curse him for being so tall. First he used his long legs to make jokes about Kaya’s height, and N\now he was using them to get in the way of her telepathic conversations with her friend? Unforgivable.

  
“Great! I’ll text you the address later. Are you on Facebook?” Johnny asked Sophie.

  
“Yeah, of course, who isn’t?” Sophie replied.

  
Johnny laughed, slightly surprised by the sass in Sophie’s reply. Kaya smiled in spite of herself. 

  
This was one of her favorite things about Sophie. Everybody always thought she was so _nice_ and _polite_ and _so well put together_ , but they never expected her to be sassy or savage (she was). That was why Kaya always disliked guys who would throw themselves at her, saying they liked her because she was so ‘well put together’ and ‘their ideal type.’ Not that Sophie wasn’t well put together (unfortunately for Kaya, who usually looked like a grumpy raccoon), but those guys never really knew how downright _savage_ the girl could be. And if they didn’t know at least that much about Sophie, then they didn’t deserve to like her. In Kaya’s opinion, anyway. 

  
“Alright then, I’ll text you later. See ya!” Johnny winked as he stepped around them to disappear into the room they had just come out of. _Does he ever say bye to someone without winking?_ Kaya wondered.

  
As Kaya and Sophie resumed their walk out to the storefront, Kaya made a face at Sophie.

  
“I was about to say we couldn’t go.”

  
“Oh, you were? Why?” Sophie looked at Kaya, confused. “Didn’t you want to go?”

  
“Yeah, I guess… it’s just that he seems like a flirt.”

  
“Maybe. So?”

  
“So… he’s dangerous?” Kaya said unconvincingly.

  
Sophie laughed. “I’m sure it’ll be okay. After all, we’re going together, right?”

  
Kaya sighed, shoulders sagging in defeat. 

  
“Yeah, I guess we are.”

  
Against Kaya’s wishes, her stomach leaped in excitement at the thought of going to the mixer. After all, even if Johnny was off-limits (she was still determined to not fall for his tricks), maybe there would be other cute guys or girls there. It was a mixer Johnny was throwing, so there were bound to be a ton of people, if his Instagram was anything to judge by. 

  
Kaya shook her head, said bye to Sophie, and headed to the fitting rooms, passing by Robb on her way.

  
“Oh hi, Robb!” Kaya greeted him with a smile and a wave.

  
He ignored her, passing by. Huh. That was weird. She shrugged and kept walking. Guess he was having a bad day. 

  
_It be like that sometimes_ , she nodded sagely.

  
Her thoughts drifted back to Johnny, and how she had mistaken him for a wall at first. For such a slender guy, he must be packing a lot of muscle…

  
She quashed the traitorous butterfly in her stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where my fellow Potterheads at? 
> 
> I just had to include that Mad-Eye reference, I love that line from HP #4. It's possibly one of the most underrated quotes in the HP universe, in my humble opinion. Coincidentally, HP #4 is my favorite book and movie in the series. If you haven't read the books or seen the movies (although who hasn't seen the movies), I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend it! You can't really go wrong with HP.
> 
> I realized I haven't clearly explained this yet, but the story is taking place in LA. It's a poppin' city with a lot going on, so I figured, why not? 
> 
> Also, poor Robb. The dude really needs to just sleep for a full day or two.


	4. Grapefruit and Honey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaya struggles to choose a drink. The cashier boy is nice enough to help her.

The days leading up to the mixer were unremarkable. Although Kaya had only just begun working, she was already settling into an easy routine. Wake up. Work. Come home. Play games. Watch Netflix. Sleep. Repeat. 

  
Of course, there were slight variations; one of the days, she had met up with Sophie after work and gotten dinner and hung out at Sophie’s place, binge watching horror movies and trying not to scream too loudly.

  
She had also picked up the habit of frequenting the coffee shop just a few doors down from Forever 21. She never ordered coffee, of course, but the coffee shop had a bunch of non-caffeinated drinks to choose from. Unfortunately, Kaya was awful (the worst, really) at making decisions so she would often stand for several minutes, staring at the menu, until she finally picked something.

  
Today was no different.

  
Kaya stood in the entrance of the small cafe, a frown marring her face as she studied the menu intensely, having a heated internal debate with herself about what she wanted. The cashier stared at Kaya amusedly, watching her face pinch as she struggled to make a decision. She almost looked constipated, as she read the non-coffee section of the menu over and over again, muttering to herself without realizing.

  
_TEAS_   
_Chamomile_   
_Lavender_   
_Honey Lemon_   
_Grapefruit_   
_Chai_

  
_FRAPPUCCINOS_   
_Chocolate_   
_Milk and Honey_   
_Nutmeg Cinnamon_   
_Cookies n Cream_   
_Mocha_

Hmm. She had already tried the Chamomile - one of her mother’s favorites. Kaya hadn’t liked that one very much, so maybe she should stay away from anything… leafy. Or flowery. She had tried the Chocolate frappe yesterday, and that was good, but then again, chocolate was pretty universal, hard to go wrong with it… what did she feel like having today… Frappuccino? Tea? Did she even want a drink today? She had to go to work in 10 minutes, not much time to decide..

  
“Can I make a suggestion?”

  
Kaya jerked in surprise. She flicked her eyes down from the menu to focus on the cashier boy.

  
“Uh.. sure?” she replied, baffled.

  
“Why not just try everything on the menu? You’ve been standing in the door for fifteen minutes and it seems-” the boy laughed lightly, “like you might be here for another hour deciding.”

Her eyes widened, cheeks heating in embarrassment. Had she really been standing there for that long?

  
“Okay. But what should I start with? I can’t decide…” Kaya groaned, hands squishing her cheeks together in frustration. If only she wasn’t so indecisive.

  
Cashier Boy laughed again, clearly finding Kaya’s obvious frustration amusing.

  
“No worries. Let me surprise you.” 

  
Kaya nodded hesitantly, not sure if she could trust a stranger to pick something she’d like. Or without coffee in it. But she really had to go to work soon, and he had a point- she would probably stand there for another hour if she didn’t decide on something soon.

  
“Alright. Surprise me.”

  
Cashier Boy nodded, eyes crinkling in a pleased smile as he punched in the total on the register. He quickly gave Kaya the total, $4.17, and whisked off to make her drink as she waited at the counter, fingers tapping unconsciously. Kaya watched nervously as he headed towards the machines, hoping to dearest god that he didn’t make anything with coffee in it. 

  
_If he does_ , she supposed, _I guess I’ll have to suck it up. He was nice enough to help me, after all._ Coffee couldn’t be that bad. Could it?

  
Kaya watched Cashier Boy work, adding things and mixing them together. She studied his side profile curiously, noticing for the first time how his tongue stuck out and his eyebrows knitted together when he was making measurements, and how his broad shoulders contrasted the apron he was wearing, which happened to be pink.

  
She stifled a giggle at this revelation, wondering how she hadn’t noticed the pink apron before. It was a soft baby pink that made her just want to squish Cashier Boy’s cheeks together as she cooed over how precious he was. Cute.

  
What was not cute, however, was the time. If Cashier Boy didn’t hurry things up, she would be late for work, and she was not about to have that during her first week on the job.

  
“Sorry,” Kaya interjected, “but I have work in a couple minutes so…” she trailed off, unsure of how to politely say ‘please hurry the fuck up.’

  
Thankfully, Cashier Boy nodded in understanding, topping the cup with a lid before handing it over to her.

  
“No problem. Enjoy your drink,” he smiled at Kaya, eyes crinkling and showing dimples she hadn’t noticed before. “I hope you like it.”

  
She averted her eyes from his face as she took the drink, all too aware of how attractive he was now that she wasn't concentrating on the menu and could see his whole face. Kaya bobbed her head as she muttered a quick thanks and hightailed it out of the cafe, not seeing how Cashier Boy’s eyes followed her as she hurried out the door. 

  
Once Kaya was safely out of the cafe, she took a cautious sip of her mystery drink. The refreshing taste of citrus hit her tongue, making her face pucker before the acidity was quickly soothed by the gentle taste of honey. She sighed in relief (thank god it wasn’t coffee) and contentment, feeling more awake and alert. 

  
_How did he know?_ Kaya wondered. She loved citrus, especially grapefruit. She frowned. Grapefruit? There hadn’t been a grapefruit honey drink on the menu, she was sure… Kaya took another sip, wondering if she had mistaken the tang of lemon for grapefruit. 

  
Nope. That was definitely grapefruit. And the honey… it was sweeter than usual, cutting through the bitter undertones of the grapefruit. _The cafe must use a special kind of honey_ , she thought to herself. She shrugged, taking another sip of the drink.

  
She would have to ask Cashier Boy next time she saw him. Kaya smiled at the thought.

  
Looks like she had a new favorite drink.

  
Back in the cafe, Jung Jaehyun hummed to himself as he cleaned up, wondering if the indecisive girl had enjoyed her drink. 

  
He would have to ask the next time he saw her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And,,,,, FINALLY,,,,, they meet. 
> 
> *wipes sweat off brow*
> 
> Does anybody else out there not like coffee? I, for one, love the smell but abhor the taste. Although, that may have to do with the fact that whenever I drink coffee I feel like I'm about to have a HEART ATTACK. Sadly, I'm not exaggerating- I once had half a cappuccino and my heart rate was out the roof. Since then I pretty much just stick to my personal fave, hot chocolate. You can't really go wrong with hot chocolate (as far as I'm aware). 
> 
> Where my fellow hot choco fans at? :D


	5. Tsimokaretina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a strange event takes place.

Somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a boat gently bobbed on the waves. A man lay in the boat across the benches, listlessly staring up at the sky, listening to the sounds of the waves hitting the hull of the boat.

  
The man sighed. He had been in the boat for days now, and there was still no sign of her.

  
“She’s not coming.” He stated flatly, seemingly to the air. “She got caught.” 

  
The man continued speaking to the air, as if it could hear him. 

  
“We should go back.”

  
A small figure rose from the bottom of the boat, shaking its body in an effort to rid itself of the salty crystals now stuck to its form.

  
“She will come.”

  
The man glared at the figure, not thrilled at the prospect of sitting in the small boat for another few days.

  
“We barely have any food and water. We should go back before-”

  
“No!” the smaller figure cut in sharply. “She will come! And when she does, we need to be here.”

  
The man glowered at the figure. “We’ve been out here for days, if not longer, and we’re running out of supplies.” 

  
The man ignored the way the other bristled in warning as he continued.

  
“She might not come for another week or even another month, and we definitely don’t have supplies for that. We’re going back.” He said forcefully, taking the oars in his hands and preparing to row back the way they had come a few days ago.

  
_Thwap!_

  
The man gasped, nursing his rapidly swelling cheek with his hand.

  
“Don’t forget your place, _scum_. You’re only here because you begged, and even then I didn’t want to bring you.” The figure growled at the man. “Thank _ny mpanjaka_ for ordering me to take you with me. If it were up to me I would have deposited you at the bottom of the ocean long ago, _mpamadika_.”

  
The man sulked, hand still covering his cheek. 

  
“I still don’t think she’s coming.”

  
“She will come,” the figure said firmly.

  
As if summoned by the figure’s words, the boat was suddenly buffeted by a violent gust of wind. The man yelped, startled, and hastily grabbed on to the sides of the boat. The small figure spoke again, voice smug.

  
“I told you she would come.”

  
The unlikely pair watched the ocean as it bubbled, the formerly gentle waves now churned into a foamy froth as something rose from the depth, wind eagerly goading the waves into a frenzy. The man squinted, peering intently into the water. He blinked and rubbed his eyes with one hand as he saw the dark shape of something rise towards the surface of the water. His eyes widened as the shape hurtled towards the boat at breakneck speed.

  
With a sound like a cannon, the surface of the water broke and the figure rose into the air, slowing its ascent as gravity did its job, landing surprisingly softly into the boat.

  
The man stared. The figure was a woman who looked to be in her late thirties, and a stunningly beautiful one at that. She had electric blue-gray eyes, a small, pointed nose, rosebud lips, fierce eyebrows, and short, medium-brown hair. She was strangely not wet, as if the water hadn’t touched her during her ascent. She shivered from the wind, teeth chattering as she looked at the pair, as if waiting for something. The man continued staring at her unabashedly, mouth agape, forgetting why they had come.

  
It was then that the small figure spoke, bowing his head, tone reverent.

  
“ _Ny vadiko_. We have been awaiting your arrival.”

  
The woman turned to the small figure, eyes piercing through his. 

  
“It is time. They are coming.” She spoke quickly, voice clear. “We must gather the rest before they arrive.”

  
The small figure raised his head, concern flitting across his face.

  
“How many does he have?”

  
The woman’s face hardened, making her look much older. 

  
“Too many. The number is three times what it used to be.”

  
The small figure gasped softly. Three times? That could not be. 

  
“ _Ny vadiko_ , but how?”

  
“He has acquired a new catalyst, a _tsimokaretina_. I don’t know how he got it, but he is using it to turn many to his side.”

  
At this, the man snapped back to reality.

  
“A _tsimokaretina_? Is it the one that’s been in the news lately? It’s his doing?” the man hissed, clenching his fists by his sides. He growled low in his throat before bowing his head, remembering his place.

  
“Forgive me for yelling, _ny vadiko_. I am at your service.”

  
The woman turned to look at the man, eyes softening.

  
“It is alright, _zaza_. I understand.” Her eyes clouded in regret. “That is why we must gather the rest of us- to prevent more tragedies. _Mpanompoko_ ,” she directed at the small figure. “I require the list.”

  
The small figure bowed.

  
“Yes, _ny vadiko_. I am at your service.” He then turned to the man, voice sharp. 

  
“Take us back to the ship at once.”

  
The man nodded once, jerkily, and settled himself on the bench, picking up the two oars. As he began rowing them back to where they came from, the small figure asked the woman.

  
“ _Ny vadiko_. How long do we have?”

  
The woman stared grimly into the depths of the water she had just emerged from.

  
“Not long enough.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> ny mpanjaka - My King  
> mpamadika - traitor  
> ny vadiko - My Queen  
> tsimokaretina - virus  
> zaza - child  
> mpanompoko - servant
> 
> AND, we're back with a *double* update. Yep, I was feeling productive (in a manner of speaking), so I decided to upload two chapters today instead of the usual 1. Hurrah for motivation.
> 
> In all seriousness, I'm super excited to start introducing the overarching plot for this story, it's gonna be a doozy (if I do say so myself). Hope y'all enjoy! Thanks for reading this far :)
> 
> Wondering who these people are? Welp, you'll just have to keep reading to find out!


	6. A gift from God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaya and Sophie go to the mixer, only to find that something strange is going on.

It was finally the night of the mixer, and Kaya and Sophie were getting ready. Or rather, Sophie was still getting ready while Kaya tried to distract her.

  
“Hey.” Kaya threw a q-tip at Sophie’s head. It missed. She tried again.

  
“Hey.” this one missed too. Kaya clicked her tongue, selecting another weapon.

  
“I said _hey_ ,” she said as she threw a handful of q-tips at Sophie’s head. This time, a few found their mark and bounced off her head, landing to the floor in a disorganized heap. Sophie glared at Kaya through the mirror, annoyed that she had just messed up her almost perfectly done eyeliner. 

  
“Couldn’t you at least wait for me to finish this eye?” she complained. Kaya rolled her eyes. Sophie had been doing that eye for fifteen minutes and probably would’ve taken another twenty at the rate she was going. 

  
“Just use a q-tip. That’s why I keep throwing them at you. Didn’t you know? Q-tips are a gift from God.” Kaya raised her hands in the air, palms facing up towards the ceiling, a reverent expression on her face. “Thank you Lord, for providing these q-tips. I repent for my friend’s sins and ask your forgiveness.”

  
Sophie picked up a stray q-tip and threw it back at Kaya, hitting her square on the mouth. Kaya gasped, offended.

  
“Sophie! How could you reject God’s gift like this?”

  
“We both know you aren’t religious and probably never will be,” she replied as she took one of the many q-tips and used it to fix her wing. She eyed Kaya’s outfit. “Aren’t you gonna get ready?”

  
“What do you mean? I’m ready,” Kaya said defensively, gesturing to her outfit. 

  
She had chosen to go with her very own version of ‘fucbois beware’ attire, which consisted of a We Bare Bears t-shirt (a birthday gift from Sophie last year) tucked into ripped light blue jeans, layered with a very ripped oversized black denim jacket. She wore a silver ear cuff and cross earrings (they were fake, her ears weren’t pierced), eyes lined with a sharp wing and covered with red eyeshadow. It was her version of ‘armor’ as she liked to say. 

  
She didn’t know why, but she had a feeling she would need it tonight.

  
Sophie, however, didn’t seem to share Kaya’s sentiments; she had chosen to wear a sparkly mock turtleneck crop top, paired with high waisted shorts that had gold buttons on them and accentuated her butt. She wore long, dangling chandelier-style earrings that fell gracefully onto her shoulders. Her eyes, now that she had utilized the q-tips Kaya had thrown at her earlier, were perfectly lined on top of a shimmery pink eyeshadow that shifted colors as she shook her head at Kaya.

  
“You want to go to a mixer looking like a thug?”

  
“Hey! What do you have against thugs?” Kaya whined. “Besides, I need to protect myself!”

  
Sophie sighed, tilting her head as she judged her friend. 

  
“Is this about Johnny being a flirt again? Because I’ve heard this about 32 times over the last two days.”

  
Kaya scowled. “I have a weird feeling about him, okay? He gives off fucboi vibes and I don’t need that in my life.”

  
Sophie’s eyes softened minutely. “Because of Dan?”

  
Kaya nodded silently, eyes cast downwards as she avoided her gaze.

  
Sophie got up from where she had been sitting on the floor in front of the mirror. She stretched, letting out a satisfied noise before looking back at Kaya.

  
“Time to go?” She smiled, the previous topic forgotten.

  
Kaya grinned back, eyes lighting up again. 

  
“Time to go.”

\----

Thirty minutes later (Kaya had spent ten trying to decide which shoes to wear and another five wolfing down a quick snack just in case Johnny didn’t have food), they arrived at Johnny’s apartment. To their surprise, the apartment was dark and silent. Had they come to the wrong apartment? Kaya exchanged a bewildered look with Sophie, who was mirroring her expression. She pulled out her phone to check her messages with Johnny.

  
“Well, the address is right… and he said we’re supposed to be here by 9PM, so..”

  
Kaya shrugged and walked up to the door. There was only one thing left to do.

  
She knocked loudly, three times, on the door. The two of them waited for a response from the dark apartment. Nothing. The apartment remained as silent and dark as it had been when they had arrived.

  
“Here, let me message him and see what he says,” Sophie said. She unlocked her phone, which she hadn’t put away yet, and sent a quick message, presumably to Johnny.

  
Kaya leaned against the wall next to the door as you waited, tapping her foot impatiently. This was another thing she couldn’t stand about people like Johnny. They always liked to make people wait.

  
Kaya didn’t like to wait.

  
A few minutes passed, and Johnny still hadn’t replied. Kaya was tired of waiting.

  
“Well, so much for that. What should we do now?” she asked Sophie.

  
“I guess we could just go back to your place and chill?” she suggested, frowning. “Why would Johnny lie though? It’s not like there’s anything for him to gain..”

  
Kaya shrugged, the two of them turning around and heading for the stairs.

  
“Dunno. Maybe he’s a pathological liar?”

  
Sophie snorted. “I guess so.” She paused, thinking for a moment. “Hey, why don’t we go clubbing? We’re already dressed for it and it would be a shame to waste all this work on Netflix,” she suggested, gesturing to her makeup and outfit. Kaya considered her suggestion. She wasn't really the type to go clubbing usually, but it did seem like a waste to just go home and watch movies again…

  
“Sure, why not?” she finally decided. “It’s a fine Saturday night and we’re two young things, might as well act like it for once,” she chortled as she resumed her walk to the stairs. Kaya almost skipped the rest of the way, brimming with excitement now that there was a plan. They would go clubbing, have a few drinks, dance with a couple strangers, and most of all, she wouldn’t have to spend the night avoiding Johnny. Kaya turned around, slowing her pace as she walked backwards.

  
“C’mon, hurry up! The night is young, m’dear!” Kaya laughed at Sophie. She grinned in response before her eyes widened, looking above Kaya.

  
Kaya looked at her quizzically, wondering what she was looking at, still walking backwards, when she suddenly crashed into a wall. A wall she was positive hadn’t been there before.

  
She groaned, rubbing the back of her head. 

  
Walls seemed to like her lately. 

  
“What?” a voice asked behind her, bemused.

  
Kaya startled, not realizing that someone was behind her. She whirled around, hands up in a poor imitation of a karate stance. Her eyes widened as she took in the tall figure, handsome features, and broad shoulders before subconsciously letting out a small gasp, recognizing the figure.

  
“Cashier Boy?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be honest, how many of y'all thought that Kaya was going to run into Johnny rather than Jaehyun?
> 
> *raises own hand*
> 
> Poor girl. Always running into people. 
> 
> Also, q-tips really are a gift from God. Just put a little makeup remover on them and you can get that wing as sharp as you want! Useful pro tip I learned from a friend in college. I know you can also use concealer, but I personally find it a waste of product. Gotta save those $$.


	7. Shitfaced

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaya hadn't been planning to drink. Sophie had other ideas.

“What?” Cashier Boy repeated. 

  
Kaya stared stupidly at the person standing before her, mouth agape. What was he doing here? Did he live in one of these apartments?

  
Cashier Boy tilted his head, amused. “Yeah, I live here.”

  
Oh. Had she said that out loud?

  
“Oh. Uh, cool. Very cool.” She sounded like an idiot. Kaya cleared her throat, still looking up at Cashier Boy. He had nice eyes. 

  
“So… what are you doing here?” Kaya wanted to smack herself as the stupid question escaped her mouth. He lived here, what else would he be doing?

  
Cashier Boy seemed to think so too, as he arched an eyebrow. Nevertheless, he replied, “My roommate forgot his phone, so he sent me to get it for him.”

  
It was Kaya’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “Why couldn’t he get it himself?”

  
Cashier Boy looked sheepish at her question. “Because I’m the reason he forgot it.”

  
“Oh?” she inquired curiously.

  
He shuffled his feet, suddenly looking embarrassed, hand coming up to rub the back of his neck, the tips of his ears turning slightly pink. Kaya wanted to touch them. 

  
“I kind of.. Hid it.”

  
Kaya huffed a laugh. Cashier Boy hadn’t struck her as the mischievous type. Then again, she barely knew him. Who was she to judge?

  
“Hid it?” Sophie asked, coming up to join them as her eyes curiously roamed Cashier Boy’s face. Cashier Boy glanced between the two of them before focusing on Sophie as he replied to her question.

  
“Yeah, he’s having this party tonight but he kept getting distracted by his phone instead of prepping for it so I kinda just… hid it,” he finished lamely, still rubbing the back of his neck.

  
Kaya’s eyes flicked from Sophie’s then back to Cashier Boy’s, searching. What were the chances that two people living on this exact floor were throwing a party tonight at this exact time? Sophie was probably thinking the same thing, because the next thing she said was,

  
“What’s your roommate’s name?”

\----

For all her misgivings about Johnny, Kaya was right about one thing; the dude knew how to throw a party.

  
Thanks to Cashier Boy (she still didn’t know his name, somehow), Kaya and Sophie had found their way to the rooftop, where they spotted Johnny and what looked like the entire apartment complex partying. He made eye contact with Kaya as they entered and waved them over, shoving two red cups full of mystery juice in each of their hands. Kaya had been warned about taking cups full of unknown drinks from strangers, so she had politely declined, opting to take a swig straight from the Jack Daniel’s bottle being passed around instead. 

  
Johnny had whooped, delighted by her enthusiasm, and led Kaya and Sophie over to the ping-pong table which was being used as a makeshift drinks counter. He’d introduced them to the adorable guy pouring drinks into red cups as his roommate Mark, then asked Mark to make sure their cups were always topped off, before leaving to greet more newcomers.

  
Kaya shook her head at Johnny’s receding back. There was no way she was going to get shitfaced in his presence, though she was slightly relieved that he hadn’t stuck around for long. 

  
Unfortunately, Sophie didn’t seem to have the same idea, as she was happily guzzling down whatever Mark poured for her. Kaya winced as she finished her second cup of mystery juice.

  
“Dude. Slow down,” Kaya grimaced. “Did your tolerance suddenly increase or something? I’ve never seen you drink so fast,” she eyed her friend, suddenly concerned. Sophie’s tolerance was pretty low, and Kaya had never seen her drink so speedily before. 

  
Sophie giggled, already a little unsteady. “I’m fine, I’m fine! Don’t worry about me,” she said, turning to Mark. “Mr. Bartender, one more please!” She held up her cup, looking pleadingly at Mark.

  
Mark grinned, topping her cup up from the jug he was holding. Sophie cheered, tipping the cup back and drinking greedily. Mark turned to look at Kaya, jug raised in a silent question. 

  
She shook her head at him. Johnny aside, she was not getting shitfaced when Sophie seemed determined to drink twice her body weight.

  
Mark put the jug down, pouting slightly. He looked adorable, like a kicked puppy. Kaya shifted uncomfortably, averting her eyes from his face, feeling guilty. Mark noticed and pouted even more, giving her his best kicked-puppy look. She valiantly attempted to ignore him, going so far as to turn her back so she couldn’t see him. 

  
It was then that Kaya suddenly got a bad feeling, like she was being watched. The hairs on the back of her neck raised as she froze, breath caught in her throat, heart pounding. She slowly turned around, expecting to find a pair of eyes staring at her. 

  
But as suddenly as it had happened, it stopped. Kaya let out the breath that she had unknowingly been holding, body relaxing. She must have been imagining it. She locked eyes with Mark, who now looked concerned at her strange behavior.

  
“Are you okay?” he asked, dropping the pout, worried.

  
Kaya grinned cheerily at him. “Never better. In fact…” she leaned in conspiratorially, holding her cup out to him, wanting to shake off the sensation that she was being watched. 

  
“Fill me up, Scotty.”

\---- 

Kaya was pretty sure she was shitfaced. 

  
At some point, she had thrown caution to the wind, and joined the sea of writhing people along with Sophie, the two of them doing their best to dance along to the booming music. When they had finally had their fill of the dance floor, Kaya grabbed Sophie and lied down on a lounge chair, giggling drunkenly as their limbs sprawled messily over the chair and each other. 

  
“Did you know,” Kaya slurred, “that Mark has the cuuuuuuuuuutest puppy face?”

  
Sophie giggled, just as drunk as Kaya, if not more. “I bet he does. But do you know what’s even cuter?”

  
Kaya looked at her, frowning in intense displeasure. Nothing was cuter than Mark’s puppy face. He was adorable. How could she not see that he was the most precious thing to exist?

  
“Is it me?” a new voice interrupted. They turned to look at Johnny, who was flirtatiously smirking down at them.

  
Kaya scoffed. As if. She would take Mark’s puppy-face over Johnny’s bunny-smile any day. She turned to look at Sophie for agreement, but she was busy staring up at Johnny, her mouth open and cheeks lightly dusted in pink. Kaya’s eyes bugged. 

  
What?

  
Getting no response, Johnny chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. 

  
“Anyways, a few of us are playing truth or drink over there, if you guys want to join.” He eyed their sprawled limbs. “Or, if you want to stay here, that’s fine too. Just wanted to let you know.” 

  
Sophie snapped out of her drunken stupor. “Yes! We’d love to,” she giggled.

  
Kaya wanted to smack her best friend. 

  
Left with no choice, they followed Johnny over across the rooftop where a circle of people were gathered, chatting and laughing drunkenly. Johnny gestured to them to sit down. As Kaya sat down, she locked eyes with Cashier Boy across from her, who smiled in greeting. 

  
Suddenly, Kaya felt very grateful towards Sophie.

  
As Johnny explained the rules of the game, Kaya studied Cashier Boy whenever he wasn’t looking. He looked slightly sweaty, his hair attractively mussed (probably from dancing). He had a habit of wetting his lips, she noticed. He looked surprisingly coherent, not at all shitfaced like her. 

  
Kaya realized how crazy she must look in comparison, hair messed up unattractively and cheeks blotchy from the alcohol. She focused her attention back on Johnny as he finished explaining, resolving to look anywhere but Cashier Boy. 

  
“Okay, so let’s spin the bottle to decide who goes first,” Johnny said, picking up an empty beer bottle and placing it in the center of the circle before flicking his wrist, sending the bottle spinning. It landed on Mark who was laughing with the boy beside him.

  
Kaya tensed, leaning forward as she focused on Mark. What kind of questions would Johnny be asking? 

  
“What was the last thing you cried over?”

  
“Oh, that’s easy,” Mark snickered. “My midterm grades in Chem. Oh god, they were abysmal.” The boy next to him seemed to agree, grinning and nodding his head in agreement. Kaya sat back, relieved that it hadn’t been something dirty. She basically had never done anything more than cuddling before, so dirty questions would be a moot point.

  
Mark reached out to spin the bottle. This time it landed on Sophie, who was so red Kaya thought she would combust. Kaya narrowed her eyes. What was up with this girl tonight?

  
Mark asked the question this time, having just gone. “What’s the biggest secret that you’re keeping right now?”

  
Kaya felt Sophie stiffen besides her. If Sophie hadn’t been leaning on her, she wouldn’t have known how tense she was feeling. Kaya frowned at her best friend. What could be so bad that she would tense up like that? They shared everything, and she couldn’t remember anything that would merit a reaction like that. Unless… Her eyes narrowed. 

  
Sophie thought about it, chewing her lip. 

  
“You can always drink,” the boy next to Mark reminded her. 

  
Sophie thought about it some more and then decided to take a shot, chasing it down with the coke Johnny handed her. Kaya thought she saw her blush as she took it from him, hands momentarily touching. Sophie giggled, reaching out to spin the bottle again. 

  
This time it landed on Cashier Boy.

  
Kaya held your breath, wondering what question Sophie would ask. She smiled, turning to face Cashier Boy.

  
“Favorite feature on a person’s face?”

  
“Eyes,” Cashier Boy replied almost immediately, already reaching out to spin the bottle, not giving Kaya’s tipsy mind any time to process his answer. She watched the bottle spin, hoping it wouldn’t land on her. She didn’t trust her drunken self to give any coherent answers, especially if Cashier Boy was the one asking them. The bottle landed on the girl next to her. An unreadable expression passed over Cashier Boy’s face before it disappeared, his face smoothing out as he asked the girl about her most embarrassing moment.

  
The game continued, the questions getting dirtier and dirtier. More and more people drank in lieu of answering, until finally Johnny put his foot down. 

  
“No more drinking. From here on, we all have to answer.” 

  
Murmurs went around the circle, some people deciding to leave, until it was just Kaya, Sophie, Mark, Mark’s friend (his name was Donghyuck, you found out), Johnny, and Cashier Boy. Kaya didn’t really want to stay, so she turned to Sophie and said, “I’m gonna go take a breather over there,” she jerked her head towards the edge of the rooftop. “You gonna be okay without me for a bit?”

  
Sophie laughed, a little more sober now, and waved Kaya off cheerily. “Of course! I’ll join you later,” she said, eyes drifting back to the circle. Kaya snorted, having a fairly good idea of why she wanted to stay. Satisfied that she seemed more aware of herself, Kaya stood up and brushed the back of her pants off before heading over to a chair near the edge of the roof.

  
Kaya ignored the chair in favor of leaning on the ledge. She gazed out at the city, lights twinkling. LA might be flatter than most big cities, but it was still one of her favorite night views. She started singing quietly to herself as she enjoyed the view. Damn. She wished her apartment building had a view like this. She would spend a lot more time outside.

  
Kaya barely noticed as a body joined her, similarly leaning against the ledge but looking up, instead of out at the city.

  
“Too bad there’s so much smog in LA.” 

  
Kaya turned to face none other than Cashier Boy. Huh. What was he doing here?

  
Cashier Boy laughed, eyes crinkling and dimples showing as he turned his head to look back at her. “Did you know you have a tendency to say what you’re thinking out loud?” he wondered.

  
Kaya didn’t even try to deny it. “Yeah, I’ve noticed that happening lately… must be all the smog affecting my brain,” she said cheerily, turning back to observe the cityscape below her. Cashier laughed lightly at her reply.

  
As Kaya overlooked the twinkling lights of the city, she remembered something.

  
“Hey, what was that-” 

  
“Did you like-”

  
She and Cashier Boy stopped, staring at each other, waiting for the other person to continue. Her lips slowly twitched, turning upwards as she tried to hold back a laugh, until she couldn’t anymore and it bubbled out of her, infectious. Cashier Boy watched her dumbfoundedly until he too couldn’t hold it in anymore, joining you with peals of laughter. Kaya wasn’t sure why they were laughing; nothing was particularly amusing, but she just felt like something about the situation was especially hilarious. So they kept laughing until the hilarity finally died down and they were able to breathe again. 

  
Kaya wiped her eyes, finally calm enough to ask Cashier Boy what she had been meaning to, except when she opened your mouth, a different question came out. 

  
“What’s your name?” Kaya asked. “I can’t go on calling you ‘Cashier Boy’ forever.. Unless that is your name,” she snickered. Cashier Boy snorted before turning to face her, sticking out his hand. Kaya raised her eyebrows. _How formal_ , she thought.

  
“Jaehyun.”

  
“I’m Kaya.” She reached out to take his hand, reciprocating his handshake. 

  
The moment their hands made contact, a surge of electricity rushed up her fingertips and to her throat, before ending somewhere around her heart. Kaya’s stomach whooshed and she unknowingly tightened her grip on Jaehyun’s hand, feeling overwhelmed. She cleared her throat, releasing Jaehyun’s hand, the feeling dissipating into the air. Her cheeks burned as she pretended to be interested in the glittering cityscape below. Besides her, Jaehyun seemed to feel similarly shocked, hand staying in the air for a moment after she had released it, lips parted. He shook himself out of his daze, running his now empty hand through his hair, returning his gaze to the view below them. 

  
An awkward silence settled over the pair, each of them lost in their own thoughts, each questioning their sanity. 

  
“Did you know that lemmings are often driven to swim across the large bodies of water due to strong migratory urges, causing many of them to die during the journey because they overestimated their abilities?” Kaya suddenly blurted out, words stumbling across her tongue. She cringed, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her whole. 

  
A range of expressions passed over Jaehyun’s face as he stared at Kaya, trying to decide what to make of that information before he finally settled on mirth, his shoulders shaking with laughter. Kaya laughed with him, the tension broken.

  
“You’re weird, did you know that?” he stated after his laughing fit passed.

  
“I guess there really is too much smog in LA,” Kaya cheekily replied, pleased with herself for breaking the tension from before. Jaehyun chuckled quietly in response, dimples showing.

  
They settled into a companionable silence, a million times more comfortable with each other. Maybe it was the drinks, which had loosened them up considerably. Maybe it was the atmosphere of the party, surrounded by raucous laughter and the low booming of the music. Maybe it was the way Jaehyun had stayed after Kaya’s embarrassing word vomit. Whatever it was, Kaya would enjoy it while it lasted.

  
Unfortunately, it was at this moment that Kaya decided to check on Sophie, turning around. She was met with the sight of her best friend leaning over a garbage can, puking her guts out. Kaya gasped in alarm, Jaehyun turning to see what the matter was. Kaya rushed over to her friend, gently patting her on the back and murmuring words of encouragement as she continued to vomit everything she had consumed in the last six hours. Kaya exchanged an apologetic glance with Jaehyun, who shook his head in understanding, motioning for them to leave. Kaya quickly grabbed hers and Sophie’s things and called an Uber. She opted for the elevator this time, seeing as Sophie could barely walk. She should’ve known this would happen; Sophie’s tolerance was still shit after all.

  
As the elevator doors closed, Kaya caught Jaehyun’s eyes, mouthing ‘bye’. Jaehyun waved, smiling softly as he mouthed ‘bye’ back. She ignored the rush of heat that flooded her cheeks, instead focusing on making sure Sophie was safely propped against the elevator wall. 

  
Kaya frowned, spotting something on Sophie’s forearm as her sleeve rode up a little. Since when did Sophie have a tattoo? She peered closely at it, brows cinching together. Was that… a phone number?

  
Her eyes snapped back to Sophie’s face as a bolt of realization hit her.

  
She was seriously going to kill her best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Background info: Sophie is honestly terrible at drinking, and she usually doesn't really care for it, so her behavior in this chapter is *quite* unusual. Her tolerance is usually very very VERY low (I'm talking 3-4 shots of vodka before she's full on drunk). However, once she's made up her mind about something, it's very hard to convince her to do anything else which is why Kaya doesn't even bother trying to stop her from drinking, despite knowing that Sophie's tolerance is super low. Also, Kaya ends up being drunk herself, so that's why she forgets to keep a closer eye on Sophie and Sophie ends up drinking a little (or a lot) too much.
> 
> Although Kaya is open to the idea of romance, previous experiences have led her to be very pessimistic about the whole deal. She can flirt (and rather enjoys it) but never with someone she's actually interested in, due to fear of rejection. You could say she's afraid of commitment, in a manner of speaking. 
> 
> Also, did anyone notice how Johnny cleverly got out of cleaning walls simply by not having any? Hurrah for rooftop parties.
> 
> Anyways, what's up with Sophie? Why is she behaving so out of character lately and what does it mean?
> 
> Keep reading to find out!


	8. XS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaya almost kills a teenage girl. Johnny saves the day.

Kaya was not having a good day.

  
  


She scowled as she folded a stack of clothes that had been haphazardly strewn across the floor, shooting a murderous look at the back of the teenage girl who had carelessly dumped half of the clothes in search of her size. Kaya grumbled quietly under her breath, scowling even more when she saw a blouse in the size the girl had been looking for at the top of the stack.

  
  


Figures.

  
  


Kaya finished folding the stack, finally straightening up from her hunched pose, rolling her shoulders, and saw the girl dump  _ another _ stack of clothes on the floor. Kaya stared at her incredulously before raising her eyes to the heavens. God was really testing her today. She shook her fist angrily up towards the ceiling.  _ This is why I stopped believing in you _ , she thought furiously. Kaya heaved a sigh before dragging herself over to the newly toppled stack of clothes, doing her best not to stare daggers at the girl. She glared at the blouse on the top of the stack, jaw dropping as she saw the girl’s size again. Kaya snorted mirthlessly. 

  
  


Well. At least she was  _ consistent _ .

  
  


Kaya ignored the temptation to hurl the blouse at the teenage girl, closing her eyes, gritting her teeth, and forcing herself to breathe evenly. This was all part of the job. She was fine. She was an adult and she would continue to act like one. Finally calm, Kaya opened her eyes just in time to see the teenage girl knock over a  _ third _ stack. 

  
  


That was it.

  
  


Kaya got up, striding over to the teenage girl. She placed a saccharine smile on her face before reaching out to tap the girl.

  
  


“Excuse me?”

  
  


The girl turned to look at Kaya judgmentally, giving her a once-over before returning her gaze.

  
  


“What?”

  
  


Kaya’s nostrils flared as she clenched her fists, aching to throttle the girl. The syrupy smile on her face grew wider.

  
  


“Sorry, but I noticed that you’ve been looking for the size XS at the bottom of the pile, and I was wondering if you knew that there’s actually more on the top of the pile?” Kaya simpered.

  
  


The girl scoffed. “Everybody knows that the ones at the top of the pile are dirty. All the cleanest ones are at the bottom, duh.” she replied scornfully, brushing Kaya off. 

  
  


Kaya’s eye twitched. Hadn’t she heard of  _ washing machines _ ?

  
  


“Sure, but do you have to dump the rest on the floor? I mean, that makes those dirty for the rest of the customers shopping here,” Kaya gestured towards the empty store.

  
  


The girl rolled her eyes, unimpressed. “Nobody else is here besides me. You should be grateful to me for giving you business,” she replied arrogantly, still rifling through the remainder of the pile she had destroyed earlier.

  
  


That was the last fucking straw. Kaya saw red as she opened her mouth to tell the teenage girl to _kindly_ _fuck off_ , _we don’t need little shits like you_. Before she could say anything however, a cool voice interjected.

  
  


“No worries, miss. Perhaps you would find what you’re looking for in this section over here?” Johnny smiled disarmingly at the girl. She dropped the blouse she was holding and blushed heavily, gazing up at Johnny in a daze as he led her to the clearance section, where everything was already in a disorganized heap. Kaya sniggered at her lovestruck expression, giving Johnny a begrudging smile when he came back to help Kaya pick up the pile the girl had left.

  
  


“Wish I had thought of that.”

  
  


“You seemed pretty worked up. Figured you weren’t thinking properly,” Johnny shrugged, smiling back before frowning a little in concern. “Hey, are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

  
  


Kaya waved a hand dismissively. “I’m fine. It’s just uh,” she paused, trying to think of a way to put it delicately before giving up, “my period. Been having cramps all day and it sucks ass.”

  
  


Johnny nodded sympathetically. “Oh. That’s the worst. Did you need any pads?”

  
  


Kaya looked at him like he had grown an extra head. He snorted at her expression. 

  
  


“Chill. I got into the habit of carrying some around due to past, ah, friendships.”

  
  


Kaya eyed him, wondering exactly what kind of friendships those were. Nevertheless, she could use a pad, as she had forgotten to bring one. She had been in a rush to leave the house (again) and had used up her emergency supply the day before, forgetting to replace it when she got home. 

  
  


“Sure, if you don’t mind.”

  
  


Johnny nodded, already walking back to the back room to get it. “Be right back! Try not to kill anyone while I’m away,” he winked as he left. Kaya was getting used to his odd way of saying goodbye, having worked with him for a little over a week now, some of his charm having thankfully rubbed off. Her initial instinct had been somewhat correct; if she looked past the charm and flirtiness he exuded, Johnny was a pretty fun guy to hang around with. Kaya continued to fold the scattered shirts, neatly organizing them by size. 

  
  


_ What would Sophie think _ , she mused,  _ of Johnny carrying around pads with him? _ Kaya chuckled at the thought. Ever since the party, Sophie hadn’t stopped making heart eyes whenever she so much as thought about Johnny. Kaya didn’t understand what she saw in him- well, maybe a little bit- but she supposed it was healthy that Sophie was taking an interest in someone for once.

  
  


Although Sophie was plenty popular with the guys, she had never once liked any of them back, nor had she ever taken the initiative in liking someone. All of her previous crushes had only lasted a couple days before she had effectively squashed her feelings for them. Kaya supposed it was a mixture of her impossibly high standards and her own insecurities, but that didn’t explain why she had suddenly taken such a great interest in Johnny. In fact, that made even less sense, in her opinion. 

  
  


As Kaya pondered her best friend’s questionable taste in men, Johnny emerged from the back room, looking slightly apologetic. 

  
  


“Sorry Shortstack, I guess I accidentally switched my bag with Jae’s today,” he said before his expression brightened suspiciously. “It’s okay though! I texted him and he said he’ll come bring it when he has a break, so don’t worry!”

  
  


Say.

  
  


What?

  
  


Kaya stared at Johnny, frozen, as she struggled to process the words that had just come from Johnny’s mouth. In truth, she had been avoiding seeing Jaehyun after the party. There wasn’t a real reason to avoid him- it’s not like she had said anything majorly embarrassing like  _ I like your face _ or  _ my heart melts when you wear pink _ , but there had been that weird electric moment, and the way she had felt so comfortable just staring at the cityview with him, and her awkward word vomit moment, and in conclusion she had decided to avoid the man that was Jaehyun. 

  
  


Kaya had told Sophie about how embarrassed she was a couple days after the party, to which she had laughed and told Kaya to stop overthinking. Unfortunately, Kaya was very good at overthinking. The best, in fact. Nobody could beat her in overthinking. She might as well have been labeled  _ World’s #1 Overthinker _ .

  
  


Johnny waved a hand across Kaya’s eyes, bending down to get a better look at her face. 

  
  


“Hello? Shortstack? Did you hear me?”

  
  


Oh, she heard him, alright. She caught his wrist. “What do you mean he’s  _ coming _ ? And he’s bringing it? Johnny  _ what exactly did you tell him? _ ” Kaya hissed, sounding much like an angry cat.

  
  


“Whoa, chill,” Johnny raised his hands. “I just told him I needed something from my stuff because you weren’t feeling well. Besides,” he smirked a little, “I heard you had a little moment at the party,” he waggled his eyebrows at her knowingly.

  
  


“What- how- who-” Kaya spluttered, before it hit her.

  
  


Sophie, that traitor. 

  
  


Before Kaya could rip Johnny a new one, the automated bell rang, signaling that someone had just entered the store.

  
  


Shit.

  
  


In walked Jaehyun, still wearing his baby pink apron. Kaya’s heart practically melted at the sight. He looked so  _ soft _ . It was a crime for an adult man to look that good in a baby pink apron. Johnny threw a smirk Kaya’s way before calling out to Jaehyun.

  
  


“YO, Jaehyuns, over here!” he beckoned him over. Kaya tried to slink away, but Johnny caught the back of her shirt and dragged her back like she was a naughty child. 

  
  


Fine. If she couldn’t escape, then she would just not turn around. Kaya grumpily stared down at the neatly folded pile of clothes she had just finished organizing, wishing she had done it slower so she would still have something to do. 

  
  


“Hey, I forgot your bag in the back room, let me just go get it,” Johnny’s voice said. “You can give my bag to Shortstack here while you’re waiting,” he practically cackled as he went to go get Jaehyun’s bag. Kaya’s face went slack as she stared after Johnny, mouth agape.  _ That backstabber. _

  
  


Because she was turned the other way, Kaya couldn’t see the gleam in Jaehyun’s eyes as he leaned forward.

  
  


“Enjoying the view?” Jaehyun murmured lowly in her ear. She squawked, leaping away from him, one hand over her heart. She coughed awkwardly, trying to disguise her ungodly screech as a sudden coughing fit. She didn’t think Jaehyun believed it, if the twinkle in his eye was anything to go by, but he graciously didn’t say anything, instead holding out Johnny’s bag to her.

  
  


“You’re not feeling well, right? I don’t know what’s in here that can make you feel better, but, well… here.” 

  
  


Kaya bobbed her head once in thanks, taking the bag- or trying to. She frowned, tugging on the bag that Jaehyun was still holding on to. Why wasn’t he letting go? Kaya squinted at the bag, yanking even harder. It didn’t even budge, unbothered by her efforts. She glowered at Jaehyun. 

  
  


“Give it,” she said, pulling on the bag again. Jaehyun ignored her, still firmly holding on to the bag.

  
  


“Why haven’t you come back?”

  
  


Kaya paused, slightly befuddled. Come back?

  
  


“What do you mean?”

  
  


“To the cafe. You haven’t come in more than a week,” he said, eyes trained on hers. He had noticed?

  
  


“Uh,” Kaya said eloquently as she gawked up at him.  _ Nice answer Kaya, very articulate of you _ , she thought snidely at herself. Jaehyun held her gaze, his face unreadable as he searched for something before he loosened his grip on the bag enough for her to pull it from him. He shook his head, wearing a small smile.

  
  


“Nevermind. I hope you feel better,” he waved at Kaya, smiling with his eyes before turning around and walking out of the store. Kaya gaped after him, Johnny’s bag loosely hanging from her hand.

  
  


Was it just her, or had Jaehyun looked disappointed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Kaya... how are you so oblivious?
> 
> The irony here is that Kaya is usually very sharp when it comes to spotting other people's romantic intentions (i.e. whenever a guy likes Sophie or one of her friends develops feelings for someone). But hey, everybody is a bit blind when it comes to themselves, no? Such is the curse of being human.
> 
> Poor Jaehyun. What will Kaya do to make it up to him?
> 
> Keep reading to find out!


	9. Ten Numbers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaya makes it up to Jaehyun.

Jaehyun stared blankly out the window of the small cafe, absentmindedly wiping the same spot he had been wiping for the last five minutes. He was jolted out of his reverie when his phone buzzed in his pocket, signaling a text message. He wasn’t supposed to look at his phone at work, but, well.. He glanced around the almost-empty cafe, eyes landing on the little elderly lady in the corner, enjoying her tea. She didn’t look like she’d mind. In fact, she looked almost fascinated with her drink, as if she had never seen tea before. Jaehyun chuckled to himself as he watched the little old lady admire her teacup before he pulled out his phone, swiping down on the text notification.

  
  


_ PaPaJohn 4:13pm: _

_ You forgot ur bag u idiot _

_ U had like one job _

Jaehyun winced. He had totally forgotten about his bag in his hurry to exit the store. His mind wandered back to Kaya involuntarily, mouth downturned as he recalled their conversation. He sighed through his nose, typing out a reply to Johnny.

  
  


_ Valentineboy 4:15pm: _

_ I forgot _

_ Pick it up after my shift? _

_ PaPaJohn 4:15pm: _

_ No _

  
  


Jaehyun frowned at his roommate’s reply in confusion. What did he mean, ‘no’? His fingers flew across the keyboard as he messaged back.

  
  


_ Valentineboy 4:16pm: _

_ What do you mean no _

_ I need my stuff?? _

_ PaPaJohn 4:16pm: _

_ Yeah _

_ It’s coming to u right now _

_ Ur welcome _

  
  


Jaehyun stared at his phone. Well, okay then. If Johnny was feeling kind enough to bring his stuff during his shift, who was he to complain? Jaehyun put his phone back in his pocket, turning to check on the lady, smiling as he saw that she was still admiring the teacup. The bell on the door chimed, signaling the arrival of a new customer. 

  
  


“That was fast,” Jaehyun said as he turned around, expecting to see Johnny with his bag in hand with the usual smirk on his features. Instead he locked eyes with Kaya, gears in his brain briefly grinding to a stop. His eyes traveled from her windswept features down to the bag in her hands- his bag. So this is what Johnny meant by ‘you’re welcome.’

  
  


Kaya quickly averted her eyes from Jaehyun’s, breaking eye contact. Jaehyun’s mood soured. She still didn’t want to look at him. Running a hand through his hair, Jaehyun exhaled softly, resigning himself to the fact that she didn’t want anything to do with him. He must have imagined everything at the party.

  
  


“I brought your bag,” Kaya said quietly, holding it out to Jaehyun. He nodded, murmuring a thanks and quickly taking it before going to the back room to put it down. Kaya stood in the entrance, face unreadable as she watched him disappear from sight, unconsciously picking at the sweater cardigan she was wearing. The old lady in the corner watched the entire exchange before shaking her head and going back to her teacup, muttering something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like ‘young people.’ 

  
  


When Jaehyun came back, Kaya was still standing at the entrance, fiddling with her sleeves, chewing on her lip. He observed her strange behavior from behind the counter, not wanting to make any sudden moves in fear that she would bolt away like a frightened animal. He watched as a range of expressions flitted over Kaya’s face before she seemed to make up her mind, a determined look on her face as she marched up to the counter. Jaehyun titled his head, eyes locked on hers as she stared defiantly up at him.

  
  


“I haven’t been here in a while.”

  
  


“You haven’t.”

  
  


“Which means I’ve only tried three drinks out of the ten on the menu.”

  
  


“Indeed.”

  
  


“That means I have seven left until I reach my goal.”

  
  


“And what goal is that?”

  
  


Kaya paused, visibly hesitating. Jaehyun watched as she chewed on her lip again, seemingly having an internal battle with herself before making up her mind once more.

  
  


“Ten drinks for ten numbers.”

  
  


“Ten numbers?”

  
  


Kaya nodded resolutely. Jaehyun did his best not to smile as he quickly put the pieces together, trying not to laugh at Kaya’s adorably determined face. Instead he looked at her with what he hoped seemed like innocent bewilderment.

  
  


“Any ten numbers?”

  
  


Kaya tried not to blush as she shook her head in denial. 

  
  


“Then which ten numbers?” Jaehyun asked, struggling to maintain his facade.

  
  


She shuffled her feet, looking down at the ground before peeking up at Jaehyun through her hair.

  
  


“...rs..” she whispered.

  
  


“What was that?” Jaehyun asked, leaning forward in effort to hear her.

  
  


“...ours..”

  
  


“Say that again? I couldn’t quite catch that,” he smiled, not able to keep the laughter out of his voice anymore. Kaya must have finally realized that he knew exactly what you meant, because she glared at him, head snapping up to meet his gaze straight on.

  
  


“I said, YOURS! Are you DEAF?” she snapped at him before slapping a hand over her mouth, shooting a petrified glance at the old lady in the corner. The lady ignored Kaya’s outburst, calmly sipping on her tea. Ah, to be young again..

  
  


Jaehyun smirked at Kaya, feeling much better for some reason.

  
  


“Oh my, how forward of you, Miss Lee.”

  
  


“Shut up. I told you my goal, now give me my drink.”

  
  


“Weren’t you gonna ask me for my number first?” he teased. Kaya glowered back at him.

  
  


“No. Now give me my drink.”

  
  


“Well, that’ll be hard, seeing as you haven’t ordered yet, Miss Lee,” Jaehyun said slyly, a laugh threatening to bubble out of him. Kaya raised a hand to cover her face, groaning. She peeked at Jaehyun through her fingers, the fight whooshing out of her, replaced by sheepishness.

  
  


“Cashier Boy.”

  
  


“Miss Lee.”

  
  


“Surprise me.” 

\----

Ten minutes later, Kaya walked out of the cafe, face pink. She was clutching a plastic cup and a small stamp card to her chest, as if afraid the wind would blow them away. Jaehyun had taken his sweet time making her drink today. Kaya groaned at the memory of her conversation with him, throwing her head back and staring at the cloudy sky. How humiliating. Her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red as she remembered the stamp card he had given her. Kaya looked down at it, convinced that this was all a dream and she would wake up any moment now. 

  
  


Despite only receiving it during this visit, there were already four stamps on the card, each one with a different number under it. Kaya rubbed at the numbers furiously, checking that they were real. When they stubbornly remained where they were, she groaned again, free hand coming up to squish her face. Where she had grown the balls to tell him her goal was to get his number, she didn’t know. Jaehyun had a talent of making her do weird things when he was around; the baby pink apron uniform absolutely did not help.

  
  


Finally convinced that the numbers were real and wouldn’t disappear, a smile took over Kaya’s face, features brightening as she laughed to herself. She had really done all that. And not only had she done it, but Jaehyun had actually agreed. Kaya grinned, touching the stamp card softly, turning it over in her hand wonderingly. She took a sip of the new mystery drink. This time Jaehyun had made her a milk and honey frappuccino, topped with a heap of whipped cream. The honey was the same one from last time, the sweet taste complementing the gentle flavor of the milk. Kaya sighed in contentment. She would really have to ask him about that honey the next time she saw him. And the grapefruit drink from last time which she was sure wasn’t on the menu. 

  
  


Kaya hummed happily as she walked to her car, digging in her bag for her keys. She paused, not finding them. That’s odd. She turned around, heading back to Forever 21. She must have dropped them somewhere. She saw the old lady finally on her way out of the cafe, smiling and waving as Kaya passed. Kaya waved back and hummed as she skipped to Forever, not caring if anybody saw. Skipping was  _ efficient, _ goddammit. She arrived at the entrance to the store, waving in greeting to Johnny before heading to the back room, checking the floor as she went. Reaching the back room, Kaya looked around before shaking her head and returning the way she had come. She spotted Johnny again and walked up to him.

  
  


“Hey, have you seen my keys anywhere? I must’ve dropped them, they aren’t in my purse.” 

  
  


Johnny frowned. “No, I haven’t seen anything. Did you check with Jae?”

  
  


In retrospect, she probably should’ve checked there first. “No, but I'll check there next. Thanks, see ya later tall boy,” Kaya waved cheerily at him. 

  
  


“Hey, wait! Shortstack!” Johnny called after her. Kaya turned back, cocking an eyebrow.

  
  


“What’s up?”

  
  


“Do you wanna come over on Friday to watch movies with us? It’d be my roommates and a few other friends. You can bring Sophie too,” he added casually, almost an afterthought. Kaya stared at him, not convinced. If she didn’t know better, he sounded a little  _ too  _ casual.  _ What the heck _ , Kaya thought.  _ It’ll make Sophie happy and it won’t be too bad for me either. _ She made up her mind.

  
  


“Sure, why not? But you better have more than chips and beer,” she narrowed her eyes at him. Johnny ran a hand through his hair, bunny-smiling.

  
  


“I promise there will be more than chips and beer.”

  
  


Kaya nodded, satisfied, and turned away from him, waving her hand over her shoulder in goodbye as she walked out of the store. She automatically started walking back to her car, hand digging around in her purse again as she looked for her keys, before remembering that she had dropped her keys and was supposed to be looking for them. Kaya sighed, changing directions and walking to the cafe before a figure caught her eye.

  
  


Kaya squinted at the distant figure, recognizing it as the old lady from before. She was crossing the parking lot, waving something around in her hands and saying something indistinguishable. Even from a distance, Kaya recognized the various keychains hanging from the lady’s grip, realizing she was holding Kaya’s lost keys. Kaya smiled and waved at the lady, crossing the street, intending to meet her halfway. The little old lady waved her hands even more frantically, shouting and breaking out into a jog as she saw Kaya begin to cross the parking lot to meet her. Kaya frowned, walking faster. She didn’t have to push herself so much just for the sake of giving you her keys. How did she have them anyways?  _ I must have dropped them in the parking lot _ . Kaya broke out into a light jog, not wanting the poor lady to push herself so much. As the distance between the two of them decreased, Kaya could finally hear what she had been saying.

  
  


“Behind you! BEHIND YOU!” the lady screamed, motioning frantically. Kaya’s eyes widened in confusion, turning to look behind her just in time to see a black car hurtling down the row of cars with no intention of slowing down. She threw her body to the side, slamming into the red corolla she had just been passing, the black car just barely missing her. The corolla’s car alarm went off from the impact and Kaya watched in a daze as the black car sped away, driver clearly having no intentions of apologizing for almost killing her. Kaya clung to the car beneath her, breath coming out in ragged gasps as her heart pounded heavily in her chest. Distantly, she could hear someone asking if she was okay. Kaya watched as the black car exited the parking lot, turning the corner and leaving her sight. 

  
  


“Young lady? Young lady!” the old lady grabbed Kaya’s shoulders. Kaya snapped her eyes back to the lady’s, suddenly aware that the car alarm still hadn’t turned off and people were beginning to come out of stores, annoyed by the disturbance. The old lady helped Kaya to her feet, grabbing her arm and hoisting her up, having surprising strength for her tiny frame. She led Kaya back to her car, one hand on her back, rubbing her in a soothing manner. The adrenaline rush finally fading, Kaya smiled gratefully at her, glad she had been there to warn her.

  
  


“Thank you. I could’ve..” Kaya gulped, realizing how close to death she had come. “I almost got hit by that car. You saved my life.” Her eyes watered unwillingly, unshed tears making them glisten. The old lady shook her head firmly, hands coming up to cup Kaya’s face. 

  
  


“No need to thank me, child. I only did what any other would have.” She pressed the keys into Kaya’s hands as she realized they were now at her car. “Go home and get some rest. A good cup of tea should calm your nerves.” Kaya jerkily nodded, getting into her car and buckling up, pausing for a moment as she steeled her nerves for the drive home. The little old lady stood in front of the car, watching as Kaya backed out of the parking spot, only turning to leave after Kaya waved to her. Kaya made it safely home, making herself a cup of tea as the lady had suggested while cozying up with a blanket and a book.

  
  


It was only later that Kaya wondered how the lady had known which car was hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot happening in this chapter! First we have Kaya trying to make it up to Jae, then Johnny inviting her and Sophie to a hangout, and then Kaya almost gets hit by a car and dies. Man. That's a lot in one day. The poor girl was forced to go through so many emotions in such a short period of time. That's pretty similar to real life I guess - nothing will be happening until, BOOM, shit hits the fan and everything happens all at once. Does anybody else feel that way, or is it just me?
> 
> What's up with that rude af black car though? 
> 
> Keep reading to find out!


	10. Of vanishing keys and murderous cars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaya has been off ever since the accident. Everybody is worried.

The days trickled by, each one bleeding slowly into the next. Kaya often lost track of time during work; Johnny or Sophie would frequently find her staring into space with a loose article of clothing dangling from her limp hands. At first they had brushed it off as Kaya being bored or tired, as was her usual state of being. Soon though, they started to become increasingly worried about her behavior. The bags under her eyes deepened and although she would always brush off their concerns with a smile and a simple ‘I was up gaming last night,’ they wouldn’t stop shooting her worried glances and whispering to each other when they thought she wasn’t paying attention. 

  
  


In truth, that was most of the time.

  
  


Kaya couldn’t get her mind off the almost-accident. It had been almost a week since it had happened, and she was no closer to figuring it out than she had been a week ago. Her missing keys, the old lady who found them, the mysterious black car with tinted windows that had almost killed her: these were the things that plagued Kaya’s mind day and night as she tried to see the connections between them. But no matter how hard Kaya tried, she just couldn’t understand what any of these events had to do with each other. 

  
  


And thus her contemplation continued.

  
  


Johnny and Sophie weren’t the only ones who had noticed Kaya’s off behavior. As promised, Kaya had gone to the cafe three more times, each time gaining a new stamp on her card. During her brief interactions with Jaehyun, her day brightened considerably. The fluttering butterflies she got from being in his presence expunged the sickly ones that had been sitting like rocks in her stomach since the accident, and Kaya was able to forget her worries for a moment until her eyes would drift to the corner table the little old lady had sat at. Had she known Kaya would come to the cafe? Where did she find the keys? How had she known which car was Kaya’s?

  
  


After Kaya’s late realization, she had thoroughly checked her car to see if anything was missing. To her relief, nothing had been; she had no idea how the little lady had known, or what she would’ve been looking for. Everything looked exactly as Kaya had left it. Kaya had tried many times to tell herself that the lady had just found the keys by coincidence and had seen Kaya walk to her car, but Kaya couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it than that. 

  
  


She had this conversation with herself every time she looked over at the table the lady had occupied. Kaya was unaware of how Jaehyun would watch carefully as her expression dimmed, eyes glazing over when she stared at the table the lady had sat at. He didn’t know what had happened, but he was concerned- especially after Johnny had mentioned that Kaya had been acting weird at work. These days, there weren’t very many customers in the cafe, so he was free to study her face as she became lost in her thoughts. He saw how the bags under her eyes were steadily growing darker, how she couldn’t seem to stop looking at that table, how Kaya’s normally sassy replies had less bite to them than usual. He was worried, but he didn’t know how to comfort her or ask what was on her mind. 

  
  


It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried; it’s just that every time he had asked, Kaya had broken out of her daze to reassure him, with a smile, that she was just tired from work. Then she would resume her conversation with him until her eyes would unconsciously drift over to the same table, again and again. Jaehyun learned quickly that he wouldn’t be able to get a genuine response from Kaya and instead helped her in the limited ways he could. 

  
  


Sometimes this meant cracking a joke about Kaya’s panda eyes, making her stick her tongue out at him in defiance; sometimes this meant using a corny pickup line to embarrass her, making her groan and cover her face as she cringed; sometimes this meant pulling out secret menu items to give her an energy boost. These, Kaya didn’t know about. Kaya always tried to ask him what he had made her, but Jaehyun would simply smile and reply, “A surprise.” She had no clue that none of the items he had made her were actually on the menu, and most of them were intended to help her relax or have more energy, depending on whether she came in before or after her shift. All Kaya knew was that she would leave the cafe feeling much lighter than before, spirits lifted. Then she would see the spot where she had almost been run over and her mood would darken again, Kaya once again resuming her deep contemplation.

  
  


By Thursday, Sophie had had enough. 

  
  


Kaya was getting into her car when Sophie marched up to the other side and yanked the door open, settling into the passenger seat as Kaya gaped at her, drink in hand. Sophie impatiently motioned for Kaya to get in, locking the doors from her side after Kaya had closed hers. Kaya stared at her, mouthing forming a question; before Kaya could ask her, Sophie spoke, narrowing her eyes.

  
  


“Kaya. What the hell is going on with you.” Kaya winced at the unbridled irritation in her tone. Sophie stared at her coldly, causing her heart to shrink a little. Kaya shook her head, averting her eyes from Sophie’s intense gaze and staring out the window. It was Kaya’s problem, she could deal with it on her own. Kaya didn’t want to drag other people into her mess.

  
  


“Nothing. I’m just tired.”

  
  


“Bullshit.”

  
  


At this, Kaya’s eyes flew back to Sophie’s, jaw dropping. Sophie never cursed.

  
  


“You’ve been moping all week and everybody’s noticed it, including Johnny and Yuta and Lucy and even Jaehyun! What is going on with you and why are you shutting me out? I’m supposed to be your best friend, we’re supposed to share everything with each other, but if you don’t want to, then fine. I guess our promise doesn’t mean anything,” she ranted, words cutting through Kaya like ice. 

  
  


Kaya stared at Sophie as she ranted, guilt starting to eat her up inside. She hadn’t meant to hurt Sophie; she had just wanted to keep her out of Kaya’s mess, not wanting to spread her irrational impending sense of doom to other people. But Sophie was right; they were supposed to share everything with each other, no matter how bad it was. They had promised each other years ago. 

  
  


“I’m sorry.”

  
  


Sophie nodded curtly in acknowledgement, still staring Kaya down. She wouldn’t fully forgive Kaya until she gave her an explanation. Kaya sighed, hands coming up to rub her temples, trying to calm her raging headache while she figured out where to begin. She started recounting the events of that day to Sophie, head throbbing the entire time. Kaya told her everything that had happened, from her almost losing her temper, to the conversation with Jaehyun, to the little old lady from the coffee shop and her keys, to the black car that almost killed her. Sophie listened with rapt attention the entire time, clicking her tongue when she heard how Kaya had disappointed Jaehyun, snickering when she heard how Kaya had declared that her goal was to get Jaehyun’s number, furrowing her brow when she heard about Kaya’s missing keys and the little old lady, and stiffening when Kaya told her about the black car that had almost run her over without stopping. 

  
  


When Kaya was finally finished with her story, she sat back in her seat and sighed heavily, the tension flooding out of her body as she sipped on her almost-forgotten drink. It felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Kaya savored the soothing taste of some kind of herbal tea, the mellow flavor melting her anxiety away as Sophie absorbed her story in the seat next to Kaya, her eyes unconsciously following Kaya’s cup as she brought it down from her mouth. They sat in silence, waiting for someone to break the ice.

  
  


“Is that tea?”

  
  


That’s not what Kaya was expecting. “Yeah, some kind of tea, why?”

  
  


“Since when did you like,” Sophie sniffed the air, “herbal tea?”

  
  


Kaya shrugged, not sure why Sophie was focusing on the tea, of all things. “I dunno, I guess I’ve acquired more of a taste for it recently? And usually Jaehyun just makes me whatever, so I don’t know what I’m getting until I try some.”

  
  


Sophie frowned. “I guess so,” she said, unconvinced. 

  
  


The pair sat in silence once more, Sophie seemingly lost in thought. Kaya returned her gaze outside the window, looking over the parking lot. 

  
  


“I wish you had told me earlier.”

  
  


Kaya looked over at Sophie, smiling regretfully. “I didn’t want anybody to worry.”

  
  


Sophie snorted. “Well that plan backfired. Even Robb could tell something was wrong with you,” she snickered. “Besides, I’m your best friend. It’s my job to worry about you.”

  
  


Kaya laughed lightly. “I know. I won’t make that mistake again,” she said, eyeing her friend carefully, pausing a moment before continuing. “Are we good?”

  
  


“Yeah. But if you ever do that again I’m gonna slap you,” Sophie smirked, reaching out to punch Kaya on the arm. Kaya giggled, relieved that she wasn’t mad anymore.

  
  


“By all means. I could use a slap once in a while.” The two of them grinned at each other in agreement. Kaya really should’ve told her earlier. She already felt so much better after telling her what happened. The knowledge that someone else knew what happened somehow made Kaya feel better. Like therapy, almost.

  
  


“I wish I could slap the jerk who almost ran you over. He should have his license revoked.”

  
  


“Honestly, with the way he was driving, I’m not sure he has a license,” Kaya sighed. 

  
  


“You didn’t see who it was, right?” Sophie inquired curiously.

  
  


Kaya shook her head. “It happened too fast, all I remember is the lady yelling at me and I just threw myself out of the way when I saw it coming towards me, I didn’t even have time to process what was happening.”

  
  


“Well, I hope they get what they deserve.” Kaya nodded in agreement, still feeling resentful towards the mystery driver, when she suddenly recalled something Sophie said.

  
  


“Jaehyun was worried about me?”

  
  


Sophie rolled her eyes knowingly. “Yeah, and me, and Johnny, and Yuta, and Lucy. But of course you only remember Jaehyun.” Kaya made a face at her.

  
  


“He makes good drinks,” she replied lamely.

  
  


“Feeling  _ thirsty _ , are we?”

  
  


“Ugh, get out of my car.”

  
  


“Sure, let me just run over to Jaehyun and tell him how good he is at making drinks,” Sophie batted her eyelashes. Kaya groaned, jamming the keys into the ignition.

  
  


“Shut up. Let’s just go.”

  
  


“Somebody’s eager, hm?” 

  
  


“Like you’re one to talk, you haven’t shut up about Johnny since the party.”

  
  


“Oh yes, he folds clothes  _ so _ well,” she simpered mockingly. Kaya fought the urge to slap her, focusing on the road, struggling to contain her laughter. They bickered the entire way home, all thoughts of vanishing keys and murderous cars pushed completely from Kaya’s mind in favor of lighter, more trivial things. It was the best she had felt all week.

  
  


If only she had told Sophie sooner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn't Jaehyun just so sweet, like he didn't even try to pester Kaya to tell him what was wrong, he just accepted it and tried to make her feel better in his own ways. We love a man who has respect. And can make good tea. <3
> 
> For those of you wondering why Sophie doesn't seem more concerned about Kaya almost dying-
> 
> Sophie knows that Kaya can get in her own head sometimes, and what she really needs is someone to listen to her concerns. Kaya is usually quite rational herself, it's just that sometimes she can get into a funk where she knows she's being ridiculous but also needs someone else to tell her she's being ridiculous. Unfortunately, Kaya is also fiercely independent. This can often get in the way of her being open about her issues, because she doesn't want to burden other people. So Sophie reminds her that they're supposed to tell each other everything, no matter what it is, because she knows Kaya will feel a million times better just by telling Sophie about it. This has always been something of an unspoken understanding between the two of them. Kaya vents, and Sophie listens. 
> 
> In exchange, Kaya will often force Sophie to reveal her emotions, as Sophie tends to hold them all in, even when she really shouldn't. Sophie really hates to show emotion - she would rather proceed with logic. However, when she holds it in too much, her built-up emotions influence her behavior to the point where Kaya can tell something is up and forces Sophie to explain what's wrong, allowing the issue a chance to be resolved and letting Sophie 'reset.' 
> 
> Over the years, Kaya and Sophie have each improved - Kaya relies more on Sophie, and Sophie is more open about her feelings with Kaya.
> 
> Curious about the truth behind the vanishing keys and mysterious car?
> 
> Keep reading to find out!


	11. Shortstack! And pizza!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaya is really bad at watching horror movies.

Now that Kaya had effectively been knocked out of her funk thanks to Sophie, she was able to spend her time fantasizing about the hangout. The next day at work Kaya went from skipping around the store and humming cheerily to hiding in a dark corner drawing tiny circles on the wall. Yuta watched her amusedly from behind the cash register as she flip-flopped from being almost giddy with excitement to shaking from anxiety. If he’d had the ability to read minds, he would’ve heard the million questions that were racing through her mind.

  
  


What movies would they watch? Would there be food? Who would be there? Would Jaehyun mind sitting with her? Did she mind sitting with Jaehyun? What if he wasn’t going to be there? What if she got into some horrible car accident on the way there and were unable to make it? What if Jaehyun got into some horrible car accident on the way there and was unable to make it? Would there be food?

  
  


Kaya groaned, smacking her cheeks with both hands. Here she was, a functioning 22 year-old and she was acting like she was 12. Kaya just wanted to find a nice hole and jump in it and never come out again. Turtles had it easy. When they wanted to hide they could just escape into their shell. She should’ve been born a mollusk. At least then she wouldn’t have to deal with this crap. 

  
  


Yuta snickered as Kaya started to beat herself with a clothes hanger, highly entertained by her manic episodes. Eventually she tired of beating herself up with various objects and wandered over to join him behind the register, ignoring the scandalized stare from the middle-aged woman she passed on her way. Like most other days, there were few customers in the store, a fact she attributed to the cold that had been going around recently. Kaya plopped herself on the counter next to Yuta, slumping forward to put her head on her arms.

  
  


“Yuta.”

  
  


He grunted in response, probably too lazy to form actual words. 

  
  


“What do people do when they hang out.”

  
  


“Stuff.”

  
  


“Yeah but like, what stuff.”

  
  


“Whatever you feel like?”

  
  


“You’re not very helpful.”

  
  


Kaya got another grunt in response. She huffed, turning to look at him, head still on her arms.

  
  


“Yuta.”

  
  


“What.”

  
  


“Why are feelings a thing.”

  
  


He arched an eyebrow. “You’re asking me?”

  
  


“Hmm.. yep.”

  
  


Yuta snorted, slightly amused.

  
  


“Is this about the guy from the cafe next door?”

  
  


Kaya bolted upright, staring at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

  
  


“What?”

  
  


“I see you going over there all the time and I’ve seen him, it’s not that hard to put two and two together..”

  
  


Kaya groaned, burying her face in her arms.

  
  


“Does everyone know? The fuck.”

  
  


“No, just everybody with eyes and a brain.”

  
  


“Great,” she muttered. So everybody knew. Kaya and Yuta lapsed into silence, watching the middle-aged lady peruse through the clothes in the clearance section. Every now and then Kaya would let out another groan at the thought of the hangout. She wished she could stop thinking about it. Evidently Yuta did too, because he started telling her to shut up every time she let out a new grumble. The hours passed by slowly. So slowly, Kaya was sure someone was messing with the time on her phone and Yuta’s watch. 

  
  


Eventually, Kaya and Yuta were finally done with their shift. Kaya grabbed her stuff and headed out the door after saying bye to Yuta as they headed their separate ways. Kaya turned towards the cafe out of habit before halting suddenly. She was supposed to go to Johnny’s right after this, and Jaehyun was his roommate. So if she got her drink before going over, wouldn’t it be awkward to leave the cafe together? Would he even expect her to go today since she’d see him later? 

  
  


Making up her mind, Kaya abruptly turned on her heels and ran towards Yuta instead, who was headed towards his car, which happened to be near to hers.

  
  


“Yuta! Wait up!” Kaya called out as she jogged to catch up to him. He paused, waiting for her to catch up, head tilted in bemusement. 

  
  


“Not gonna see lover boy today?”

  
  


“Shut up. We’re just friends.”

  
  


“Oh yeah, sure, that’s why you visit him every time you have a shift.”

  
  


“He makes good drinks.”

  
  


Yuta scoffed, side-eyeing Kaya. He poked her in the side before slinging his arm around her shoulders and neck in a headlock. Kaya yelped, tugging at his arm. That  _ hurt _ . She elbowed Yuta in the gut in retaliation, causing him to jerk his arm off of her as he bent in half, clutching his stomach, the air whooshing out of him. Kaya grinned evilly, cackling. That would teach him not to mess with her. Yuta straightened up, a steely glint in his eyes. 

  
  


Kaya broke into a sprint towards her distant car, shrieking in a mixture of delight and fear as Yuta took up the chase behind her. She weaved in and out of cars, jumping over the low shrubbery separating two rows in her efforts to escape. Unfortunately, she was no match for Yuta’s athleticism, despite her surprising agility and lightness on her feet. He caught up to Kaya just as she reached her car, picking her up and slinging her over his shoulder. Kaya screeched, dissolving into a fit of laughter as she pounded at his back to let her down, feet kicking uselessly in the air. 

  
  


“Uncle! Uncle! I cry uncle!” Kaya giggled helplessly. He finally let her down, unceremoniously dropping her on her feet. He laughed loudly, reaching out and ruffling Kaya’s hair until it was a mess. 

  
  


“That’s what you get, shrimp. See ya shorty.” He made a face at Kaya before going towards his car, parked a few spaces away. She rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out at his receding back. Two height insults in one breath was repetitive, but Yuta was nothing if not annoying. He was already like an annoying older brother to Kaya, despite the short time they had known each other. Kaya finally got into her car, texting Sophie before driving to Johnny’s. As Kaya drove she allowed herself a tiny smile.

  
  


What was the worst that could happen?

\----

Kaya paced nervously outside Johnny’s apartment, checking her phone every two seconds. Sophie was late, and she definitely wasn't going into unknown territory  _ alone _ . No fucking way. Sophie had said she was on her way  _ fifteen minutes ago _ , damn it. Kaya chewed on her lip unconsciously, eyes fixed on the stairs at the end of the hall. She heaved a sigh of relief at the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs, signaling Sophie’s arrival. 

  
  


“Finally! Where have you been- uhhh,” Kaya trailed off, staring at the new arrival, who was definitely not Sophie. Mark grinned at her from the end of the hallway, walking up to greet her, four boxes of pizza in his arms.

  
  


“Hey, what’s up? You here for movie night?”

  
  


“I, uh, yeah, I was just waiting for Sophie.”

  
  


“Oh okay. Well, would you mind knocking on the door for me?” Mark laughed. “I’ve kinda got my hands full here.” 

  
  


Kaya nodded, knocking on the door three times. A voice from inside yelled “Just a sec!” and she heard footsteps thundering towards the door, Johnny opening it just a few seconds later. He met eyes with Kaya and grinned.

  
  


“Shortstack! And pizza! Come in!” he grabbed her arm and dragged her in, despite her protests that she was waiting for Sophie, Mark following shortly after. 

  
  


“You can put your shoes over here,” Johnny waved towards the surprisingly neat shoe rack a little ways down the long hallway. “Where’s Sophie?” 

  
  


Kaya grumbled, toeing her shoes off carelessly after letting Mark pass by with the pizza still in his arms. “That’s what I was trying to tell you, I was waiting for her outside. She should be here soon though.” 

  
  


No sooner than she had said that, there was a knock at the door. Johnny bounded over to it again, doing a superb impression of a golden retriever. Kaya heard him open the door as she placed her shoes on the rack, hearing him give Sophie a similarly enthusiastic greeting as he had given Kaya. Kaya rolled her eyes. Sophie was probably over the moon right now. Maybe it was better that Kaya had left her to enter alone. 

  
  


Kaya looked around the long hallway, absorbing its details for the first time. So far, for a guy’s apartment, it was respectably clean- meaning the floor and walls were actually visible, and there were no weird smells emanating from the rest of the apartment, as far as she could tell. The last time Kaya had been in a guy’s apartment, there had been grains of rice scattered all over the floor for some reason, much to her bewilderment. How did one get rice on the floor so far away from the kitchen? 

  
  


Kaya’s curious inspection of the hallway was interrupted by Johnny leading Sophie over to the shoe rack, similarly instructing her to leave her shoes there. He waited until she was done putting her shoes on the rack before clapping his hands together excitedly. 

  
  


“Okay! Come over to the living room, I’ll introduce you to my friends,” he motioned towards the end of the hallway, where Kaya assumed the living room was. Kaya and Sophie followed Johnny down the hallway, a feeling of trepidation building in Kaya’s stomach. They exited the hallway into a larger room, filled with a couple of squishy brown couches and an armchair in the corner between them. One of the couches was currently occupied by three people- one unfamiliar, and two familiar. Kaya’s eyes lit up in recognition as she briefly made eye contact with Donghyuck, Mark’s friend from the party, before traveling to the person beside him, her eye twitching. 

  
  


Yuta grinned impishly at Kaya’s obvious irritation towards him as she recalled their conversation from work, where he had been highly unhelpful. The jerk had known what she was thinking about all along.

  
  


Johnny introduced Kaya and Sophie to his friends, each of them waving hi and smiling. The third person, they found out, was Taeyong, Johnny’s old roommate from college. To Kaya’s surprise, they learned that Taeyong was the owner of Bombe Cerise- the same cafe she frequented, where Jaehyun worked. Upon hearing this information, Kaya made a mental note to ask Taeyong about the mystery drinks Jaehyun kept making her. 

  
  


After introductions were over, Johnny went to his room to grab his laptop, Mark coming out from his own room holding an HDMI cable. While the two of them busied themselves with setting up the movie-  _ Inception _ , they had good taste- Kaya and Sophie made themselves comfortable, Sophie on the unoccupied couch and Kaya in the armchair, which happened to be next to Yuta. Kaya stuck her tongue out at Yuta, scrunching up her face.

  
  


“Why didn’t you tell me you were invited too? The fuck.”

  
  


Yuta smirked. “But it was so much fun watching you beat yourself up. I was just enjoying the show.”

  
  


“You’re a sadist.”

  
  


“And you’re a masochist.”

  
  


“Am not!”

  
  


“Definitely are.”

  
  


Johnny and Mark finally finished setting up the movie, Johnny disappearing into the kitchen, Mark starting the movie before settling on the couch next to Donghyuck. Johnny reappeared with the pizza boxes in his hands, a stack of plates on top. He set them down on the coffee table in the middle of the room, gesturing for everybody to help themselves, grabbing a couple pieces himself before settling on the couch next to Sophie. Kaya and Yuta continued to bicker, not aware of their surroundings until Sophie leaned over to pinch Kaya.

  
  


“Shut up, movie’s starting,” she whispered. Kaya immediately shut up, shooting an apologetic glance at the others, making another face at Yuta before focusing on the movie. She couldn’t help but feel disappointed as she watched the movie, wondering if Jaehyun wasn’t going to be here after all. 

  
  


Halfway through the movie, she heard the faint sounds of keys jingling, someone closing the door behind them. Nobody else noticed, intent on watching the movie, but Kaya turned in the armchair to be met with Jaehyun’s form. She smiled in greeting, waving a little. He briefly nodded at her before going to his room. Kaya’s face fell a little at the aloof greeting and she turned to face the TV again, mind wandering from the movie. Jaehyun came back out a few minutes later, having changed out of his work clothes into a more comfortable grey hoodie and black sweats. At the sound of the door shutting, Johnny looked over and spotted Jaehyun padding out to the living room where the rest of you were gathered.

  
  


“Yo, Jaehyuns, when did you get here?” Johnny grinned, fist-bumping Jaehyun as he walked by. Kaya shivered as Jaehyun passed behind her seat, suddenly feeling cold. 

  
  


“Just got here, sorry I’m late, there was traffic. Hey guys,” Jaehyun greeted the rest of them, Mark having already paused the movie at the interruption. 

  
  


“‘Sup Jae, there’s pizza if you want, we’re watching Inception,” Mark said, pointing at the pizza. Jaehyun nodded and nabbed a couple slices, placing them on a plate before making his way to the empty space between Johnny and Sophie. Just as he was about to sit down, Johnny shifted closer to Sophie, casually slinging an arm around her shoulders, forcing her to slide closer to him. Sophie squeaked, clutching on to her pizza as it almost slid off her plate, turning a light shade of pink. Kaya stared at them, not processing what just happened.

  
  


“Here Jae, sit next to Sophie and Kaya, there’s more room on that side,” Johnny smiled innocently. Kaya gaped at him from the side; that was undoubtedly the smoothest move she had ever witnessed. Jaehyun stared at Johnny, the pair having a silent conversation with their eyes before Jaehyun visibly caved and settled in on the seat between Kaya and Sophie. Kaya gulped, thankful for the layers of armchair and couch separating them. Mark started the movie again, everyone watching with rapt attention. 

  
  


Everyone but Kaya, that is. 

  
  


Her eyes kept straying to Jaehyun no matter how hard she tried to focus on Leonardo di Caprio filling the screen in front of her. She wondered if something had happened at work today; she hadn’t seen him so act so indifferently before. Kaya sighed through her nose. Maybe she was just imagining it; maybe he was just tired today. She forced herself to turn her attention back to the movie, only to find the end credits rolling already. Kaya blinked in surprise. Had she been that distracted? 

  
  


They all took a short break, stretching and getting more pizza while Johnny and Yuta bickered over what they should watch next. Kaya watched them, mood slightly lifted by their squabbling. She snickered to herself before getting up, stretching. She really needed to pee, but she didn’t know where the bathroom was… Kaya glanced at Jaehyun who was staring blankly at Johnny and Yuta. She shook her head and instead went to find Mark in the kitchen, tossing his plate in the garbage. 

  
  


“Hey Mark, where’s the bathroom? I gotta pee..” 

  
  


“Oh yeah sure, it’s straight down the hall, second door on the right.”

  
  


“‘Kay, thanks,” she said, walking in the direction he pointed her in. She found it easily enough, finishing her business quickly and washing up before going back to the living room. Much to her consternation, Yuta had taken over her seat, lounging in it like a cat. Kaya frowned at him, nudging his leg with her foot.

  
  


“Move. My spot.”

  
  


“No. Go away,” he said, making shooing motions with his hand. Kaya glowered at him. That was  _ her _ spot.

  
  


“Mine,” she growled, tugging at his arm, unaware that they were drawing attention to their argument. 

  
  


“Not anymore. Find another seat, shrimp.” Kaya slanted her eyes at him, not willing to give up the seat without a fight, opening her mouth to argue with him, only to let out a squawk as Sophie tugged Kaya down to sit next to her. 

  
  


“It’s fine, just sit here so we can start the movie already.” Kaya nodded dumbly, trying not to think about the fact that she was closer to Jaehyun than she had ever been. They were so close, Kaya could feel the body heat radiating off him in waves. She shifted a little closer to Sophie, trying to put a respectable distance between her body and Jaehyun’s. Unfortunately, they were already squashed together as much as they could be. If she wanted to survive the next two hours, Kaya would have to not move. That was fine. She would just not move. How hard could it be? 

  
  


Kaya snuck a glance at Jaehyun from the side, wondering what his reaction to this new arrangement was. He remained as aloof as ever as he resolutely stared at the TV screen even though it wasn’t playing anything yet. A flash of disappointment passed through Kaya and she looked away, staring at her socks. She fidgeted with the edge of her shirt, feeling awkward and out of place. Mark pressed play, and the previews started playing on the screen, sounds doing nothing to distract Kaya from the awkwardness she felt.

  
  


“You didn’t get a stamp today.”

  
  


Her eyes flew up from her socks back to Jaehyun’s face, wondering if she had misheard him. He was still staring at the TV, face stoic. But then Kaya saw it: the barest hint of a pout. She stared at it as it formed, starting to understand the implications behind it. Jaehyun wasn’t tired from work. He was  _ sulking _ . 

  
  


“I didn’t.” 

  
  


“But you worked today.”

  
  


“I did,” Kaya admitted, trying not to laugh at his adorable pout. 

  
  


“You’re behind by a number.”

  
  


“I guess I better get two drinks next time then.”

  
  


Jaehyun finally turned to look at Kaya, holding her gaze. “Three.”

  
  


She raised an eyebrow. “Three?”

  
  


Jaehyun nodded. “Three.”

  
  


“Alright, Cashier Boy. Three.” The laugh Kaya had been holding back finally bubbled out of her. Jaehyun finally cracked a smile, joining her in a fit of laughter. The two of them giggled uncontrollably, leaning into each other while everybody else shushed them so they could hear the movie. Kaya muffled herself with her hand until she finally managed to gain control over her giggles, gasping for air. 

  
  


She shared a wide smile with Jaehyun, both aware of how ridiculous they were being. Kaya finally settled back into the couch, making herself as comfortable as she could. She felt, rather than saw, Jaehyun doing the same next to her. Kaya involuntarily shivered as he moved, suddenly feeling cold. It was like being near him made her body react in weird ways. When she had been sitting in the armchair, she hadn’t felt cold at all, yet here she was, goosebumps breaking out on her arms. Jaehyun abruptly got up from the couch, heading towards the bathroom. 

  
  


Kaya tried to relax and watch the movie that was playing, finally registering that it was a horror movie, tensing automatically. She loved horror movies but she was a screamer, and usually had to cling to Sophie when she watched them. Except that wouldn’t be possible this time, because Johnny’s arm was still around her shoulders and Kaya did  _ not _ want to accidentally cling to him instead. He would never let her hear the end of it if she did. Neither would Sophie if Kaya cockblocked her, unintentionally or not.

  
  


She would just have to make do for the next two hours. 

  
  


Kaya watched the screen, entranced as the story built up, her body tensing in anticipation of the jump scare that was sure to happen soon. She brought her knees up to her chest, covering her eyes with her fingers, peeking at the screen through the cracks. The main character walked towards the doll case, fingers grazing the lock.  _ Don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t do it, _ Kaya chanted internally, suspense mounting with each second. All of a sudden, something fell over her head, causing her to squeak in terror, flailing to remove the unknown object. She grasped at it with her hands, ripping it off her head.

  
  


She looked down in confusion at the fluffy blue blanket in her hands. Kaya turned around, making eye contact with a silently laughing Jaehyun as he held a finger to his lips, then gesturing for her to use the blanket. She recovered from her shock quickly and smiled back at him, gratefully adjusting the blanket over her body. Jaehyun walked around the couches to sit next to Kaya again; she automatically held the blanket up for him to slide under it with her, spreading it over the both of them once he had settled in. It was only after a minute that Kaya realized how close they were sitting to each other. Whereas before there had been at least a couple inches separating her body from his, now there were probably only a couple centimeters; the blanket made it hard to tell. 

  
  


She yelped, train of thought broken as a jump scare startled her, burying her head into the blanket, only peeking back at the screen when the scary music went away. Kaya peered through her fingers, squinting her eyes at the TV, not wanting to see too much of the screen. She jerked when the music started up again. Everyone who’s seen a horror movie knows that the music tells them everything, and for Kaya the music alone was enough to make her scream. She felt Jaehyun shaking next to her. She snuck a glance at him from the side, only to realize he wasn’t looking at the screen at all- he was laughing at her. 

  
  


Kaya pouted, one of her hands coming away from her eyes to punch his arm. That turned out to be a bad decision, as the next jump scare happened on the screen. She screamed and jumped in her spot before instinctively seeking the closest source of comfort, which happened to be Jaehyun’s shoulder. Kaya realized what she had done and leaped backwards, accidentally hitting Sophie in the process. 

  
  


“Ow! What are you doing!” Sophie hissed at her, rubbing the side of her arm. Kaya winced and whispered an apology, refusing to look at Jaehyun, too embarrassed. She buried her head in the blanket instead, drawing her knees up to her chest, turning into a small ball. Kaya could feel her cheeks burning from embarrassment. 

  
  


Damn Johnny for stealing her friend. Kaya could not handle horror movies like this. 

  
  


When her cheeks had finally cooled down, she braved another look at the screen, hoping there wouldn’t be any more surprises for a while. Thankfully, it seemed like she could relax for a little bit, as the main character started figuring out what was really going on. Kaya settled back into the couch, eyes trained on the screen, when all of a sudden, someone screamed directly into her ear.

  
  


Kaya screeched and automatically sought out the nearest human to cling to, practically flinging herself at Jaehyun. She felt him laughing as he wrapped his arms around her, finding Kaya thoroughly adorable. She broke away from him again, quite sure the darkness of the room was doing nothing to hide her tomato-red face. She ignored the electricity running from Jaehyun’s arm to her shoulders and turned to find the culprit responsible for giving her an ulcer, finally making eye contact with a snickering Yuta sitting back down in his seat, mouthing “You’re welcome.” 

  
  


Kaya snarled at him, drawing a line across your neck. “You’re dead,” she mouthed back.

  
  


The TV screen shifted abruptly to a new, much creepier scene. Kaya whimpered, trying to make herself smaller, feeling the strain of holding herself back from clinging on to someone. Jaehyun’s arm, still wrapped around Kaya’s shoulders, dragged her back down so she could hide in his chest. Kaya froze, not knowing how to react. She pushed away from him to meet his gaze, her face still bright red. Jaehyun looked at Kaya evenly, holding his arms open as the scary music started playing again. He raised an eyebrow, as if to say “you coming?” Kaya winced as the music intensified, eyes darting from the screen to Jaehyun’s open arms.

  
  


Fuck it.

  
  


She gave in to her desires and leaned forward, letting him wrap his arms around her and pull her into his arms. She felt like her heart was going to explode, and not entirely from the horror movie that was playing. Kaya focused on the steady movement of Jaehyun’s hand rubbing soothing circles on her arm. He was warm and comfortable, and smelled like fresh laundry- her favorite smell. Kaya took a deep, calming breath, finally letting herself relax fully into his warm embrace, feeling impossibly safe. Her eyes glazed over as they continued to watch the movie, only flinching a little whenever there was a jump scare. Gradually, her lids felt heavier and heavier and she sank deeper into Jaehyun’s arms, breathing evenly and slowly. 

  
  


The next thing she knew, someone was shaking her awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, what a BEAST of a chapter, I think this one took me almost five hours to write because I was being so finicky with the details. *sighs* But hey, we have Yuta finally. And Kaya-Jaehyun interactions. Does anybody else out there think fresh laundry is the best smell in the world? I honestly can't think of anything I like more than that.
> 
> Look at Johnny, being all smooth. Wonder what's up with him and Sophie. 
> 
> Anybody else lowkey enjoy the Yuta-Kaya dynamic? Cus I know I do..
> 
> Also, the horror movie I referenced in this chapter was Annabelle Comes Home, if anybody out there is curious.
> 
> How will Kaya and Jaehyun's relationship develop from here?
> 
> Keep reading to find out!


	12. Wrong Move

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaehyun panics, then chills, then panics again.

Jaehyun stared down at the tiny warm body currently resting on his lap. At some point during the last movie, Kaya had fallen asleep, too warm and comfortable in Jaehyun’s arms to stay awake. Her head, which had been nestled closely into Jaehyun’s chest, had drooped until it fell into Jaehyun’s lap, her upper half following. He hadn’t had the heart to wake her, so he had put a finger to his lips when the movie ended and people got up to stretch. Sophie giggled when she saw Kaya’s position, taking out her phone and snapping a few pictures to Kaya on Snapchat, making sure to save them before sending them. Johnny smirked at Jaehyun as if to say ‘aren’t you glad I made you sit there?’ Jaehyun shook his head lightly, sending Johnny a glance that said ‘yeah but I’m not thanking you.’ 

  
  


He turned his attention back to Kaya in his lap, tracing her delicate features with his eyes. For all her spunk and sass when she was awake, she looked surprisingly peaceful and gentle when she was sleeping- nothing like her personality. Jaehyun chuckled, finding the contrast adorable. He hardly noticed when Taeyong chose the next movie,  _ Howl’s Moving Castle _ , too busy making sure Kaya was comfortable, slightly adjusting her so she wasn’t bent so awkwardly. Satisfied with his work, Jaehyun relaxed into the couch to watch the movie, eyes occasionally straying back to the small form resting peacefully on his lap. 

  
  


Close to the end of the movie, Kaya turned over in her sleep and pushed her face into Jaehyun’s stomach. Jaehyun froze as she snuggled closer, making herself comfortable in her sleep. He widened his eyes in panic. If she kept doing that…

  
  


Kaya wiggled even more, sending Jaehyun into further internal panic. He had to get away. He had to get away  _ now _ . He gently lifted Kaya’s head off his lap, praying that she wouldn’t wake up as he shifted to get out from under her body. She whined a little when he accidentally jostled her, causing Jaehyun to tense, watching her reaction carefully. Once it was clear that she was still asleep, he continued his efforts, finally sliding off the couch and placing her head on his now empty seat gently. Jaehyun made his way to the bathroom quickly just as the movie ended, end credits rolling. He closed the door behind him and hit his head softly on the wall next to the bathroom door, willing his heart to stop thundering away in his chest. He glanced down, a groan escaping him at the sight that greeted him, hitting his head on the bathroom wall again. He stayed like that for a good ten minutes before someone knocked on the door.

  
  


“Jaehyun! You okay in there bro?” Johnny’s voice came through the door. Jaehyun sighed softly before opening the door, coming face to face with the elder. Johnny took in his slightly flushed appearance, noting Jaehyun’s red ears, putting the pieces together. Jaehyun, who could sense the shitstorm brewing in his friend’s head, held up a hand as Johnny opened his mouth, cutting him off. 

  
  


“Not a single word.” Johnny’s mouth clicked shut, smirk still blooming on his face. He eyed Jaehyun suggestively, raising his eyebrows as if to say, ‘I don’t need words to be heard.’ Unfortunately, Jaehyun had a pretty good idea of what his best friend was thinking, but he chose to ignore it as he traipsed out to the living room, frowning when he realized the only ones left seemed to be Donghyuck and Mark, snickering quietly in the corner on their phones. 

  
  


“Everyone left already?”

  
  


“Yep, Sophie has work tomorrow and so does Taeyong, Yuta left because he was tired, Donghyuck stayed because when does he ever leave, and Kaya’s still here.” Jaehyun tried to look nonplussed at this piece of information, going over to the couch to inspect the blue lump he had thought was just his blanket. Buried under the blanket, wrapped more tightly in it than she had been before, Kaya lay fast asleep, breathing deep and even. Johnny snickered from behind Jaehyun as Jaehyun gently moved Kaya’s hair out of her face. 

  
  


“I told you.”

  
  


Jaehyun cocked his head in confusion. “Told me what?”

  
  


“Told you that you'd enjoy the mixer.”

  
  


Jaehyun snorted, having forgotten about that conversation until now. “Yeah. I guess you did.”

  
  


“Why don’t you just ask her out?” Johnny asked, curious. He had seen Jaehyun ask girls out after knowing them for less than a day or two, and Johnny could see the sparks flying between Jaehyun and Kaya when they interacted. He didn’t understand why Jaehyun hadn’t asked her out on a date yet, or even for her number, for that matter. 

  
  


Jaehyun shook his head gently, looking away from Kaya because he suddenly felt like a stalker, staring at her while she was asleep. “I don’t know, it’s like..” he frowned, trying to put his jumbled feelings into words, “something is telling me to wait. Like if I make a move, she’ll suddenly disappear.” 

  
  


Johnny tilted his head in confusion. “But you’ve never had that problem before, have you?”

  
  


Jaehyun nodded in affirmation, not really understanding it himself. He had never been one to shy from a chase, so the fact that he was taking it slowly was new to him. Not that he was the passionate romantic type- it’s just that when he knew what he wanted he would go for it. Kaya was the first person who had made him  _ want _ to wait, to sit back and enjoy the ride, instead of being the one driving. Something in his blood told him that this was right, this was the way things were supposed to happen. He chose to trust his instincts, as they were rarely wrong. 

  
  


Johnny nodded thoughtfully, mulling this new information over in his mind. Perhaps it was a sign. “Maybe you should wake her up now, it’s getting pretty late, and her family might get worried if she’s not home soon.” Jaehyun nodded in agreement, coming around to the other side of the couch, crouching down until he was level with Kaya’s face.

  
  


“Kaya.” No response. Kaya slept as soundly as ever.

  
  


“Kaya,” Jaehyun called again. Still no response. Jaehyun leaned over Kaya, ignoring other temptations, instead getting close to her ear.

  
  


“Miss Lee,” he murmured lowly. “If you don’t wake up, I’m going to have to take serious action.” He sat back on his heels, eyes focused on Kaya’s closed ones. No response. Time for serious action. He reached out to shake Kaya awake, barely making contact with her shoulder before a jolting rush of electricity surged up his arm, traveling through his chest and ending around his heart. He flinched, involuntarily jerking his arm back, eyes wide from shock. The same thing had happened at the mixer. This made it the second time that an electric moment had happened. 

  
  


Jaehyun cautiously reached out again, fingertips lightly grazing Kaya’s shoulder. Nothing happened this time, and Jaehyun sighed in relief, gently shaking Kaya awake. This time he was successful; he watched as Kaya’s eyes fluttered open, her body uncurling and stretching gracefully, like a cat. She finished stretching and sat up, rubbing her eye with one hand.

  
  


“Whas goin’ on? ‘S the movie over?” Kaya mumbled sleepily, still waking up. 

  
  


“Yeah, everybody’s gone home already, and you missed Howl’s Moving Castle,” Jaehyun replied softly.

  
  


Kaya’’s eyes flew wide open. “Howl’s Moving Castle?! That’s one of my favorites…” she pouted, disappointed. Jaehyun stifled a laugh at her expression. Johnny reappeared from wherever he had gone while Jaehyun had woken Kaya up, perking up when he saw that Kaya was now awake. 

  
  


“Hey, Sleepy is finally awake! Have a nice sleep?” Johnny grinned, poking Kaya’s forehead. Kaya slapped his hand away, irritated by his enthusiasm.

  
  


“Get out of my face, you stork.”

  
  


“Ooh, maybe we should call you Grumpy instead. You know. Like the dwarf from Snow white.”

  
  


Kaya ignored Johnny’s jibes and checked her phone, gasping when she saw the time. “Oh shit! I told my mom I would be home an hour ago! I gotta go,” she leaped up, Jaehyun’s blanket falling off her lap. Kaya caught it just before it could fall completely to the ground, picking it up and folding it hurriedly before passing it to Jaehyun. 

  
  


“Thanks for the blanket. And letting me nap. And uh,” she hesitated, looking embarrassed, “the other thing too. You know.” She called out a quick goodbye to Mark and Donghyuck who were still giggling over their phones in the corner before hurrying over to her shoes. Johnny nudged Jaehyun forward (not that Jaehyun actually needed encouragement to see Kaya off) and called out a goodbye to Kaya who was putting on her shoes. Jaehyun joined her, slipping his shoes on as well. Kaya looked up at him in confusion. 

  
  


“I’ll walk you out?” Jaehyun said, more a question than a statement. 

  
  


Kaya ducked her head and nodded. “Okay.” 

  
  


They finished putting on their shoes and walked out the door, Jaehyun shouting to Mark that he would be back in a couple minutes. Jaehyun closed the door behind them and they walked in a companionable silence to Kaya’s car, just enjoying each other’s company. It was Kaya who eventually broke the silence, unable to hold back her question any longer.

  
  


“Did I snore?”

  
  


Jaehyun let out a laugh, taken aback by the sudden question. “No.” Kaya looked relieved, before Jaehyun continued, “But you did whine when I moved you off my lap.” Kaya halted, staring at Jaehyun as he continued walking. 

  
  


“I was on your lap?”

  
  


Jaehyun turned around to face her, no longer walking. “Yeah, you even snuggled into me like a baby. It was very endearing,” he teased. Kaya remained frozen on the spot, looking much like a deer. Jaehyun simply watched, content to wait until she processed that piece of information. He saw the telltale sign of a blush forming on her cheeks, leaving them a rosy pink, making her look like she had a fever. She shivered unconsciously, arms coming up to fold across her chest. Jaehyun frowned. 

  
  


He walked forward, shrugging his hoodie off, Kaya’s eyes following him until he was right in front of her, holding out his grey hoodie. “You look cold,” he offered as explanation. Kaya jerked, arms unfolding to take the hoodie almost automatically. When she was holding it she paused, looking at Jaehyun.

  
  


“Won’t you be cold?” she asked, feeling bad about taking his clothes.

  
  


Jaehyun shook his head. “I can just go back inside. Take it, you’ve been cold all night.” Kaya nodded in acquiescence, slipping the oversized hoodie over her head and onto her body. She instantly felt much warmer, the comforting smell of fresh laundry enveloping her. They resumed their walk to Kaya’s car, taking their time, neither one of them wanting to part from the other. When they finally reached her car, Kaya turned to Jaehyun, itching to reach out and hug him. She held herself back, hands opening and closing uselessly by her sides. 

  
  


“Well.. thanks again.”

  
  


Jaehyun tilted his head at her, feigning innocence. “Thanks for what, specifically?” 

  
  


Kaya rolled her eyes. “You know.”

  
  


Jaehyun dropped the facade, laughing gently. “Yeah, I know.” They shared a moment, just looking at each other, until Jaehyun shivered unconsciously. Kaya noticed and clicked her tongue at him. 

  
  


“I knew you would be cold. Here, take your hoodie back,” she said, beginning to take his hoodie off. Jaehyun’s arm shot out to stop her, catching her wrist.

  
  


“No, keep it. It looks better on you anyways,” he said without thinking. Kaya raised an eyebrow, feeling flattered yet slightly bemused. 

  
  


“It’s a hoodie. They look good on everyone.”

  
  


“Yeah, but it’s my hoodie.”

  
  


“Which is why I’m trying to give it back.”

  
  


“Keep it.”

  
  


They had a brief staring contest, Jaehyun eventually winning when Kaya couldn’t hold his gaze any longer without fear of combusting. “Okay, you win, Cashier Boy.” Jaehyun beamed, stepping back and letting Kaya get in her car.

  
  


“Don’t forget, Miss Lee. Three drinks.”

  
  


Kaya laughed, shutting the car door. She buckled up and started her car, backing out of the spot before waving to Jaehyun, smiling and wiggling three fingers. ‘Three,’ she mouthed, eyes curving in a smile. Jaehyun waved back as she drove away, only walking back to his apartment when he couldn’t see her car anymore. 

  
  


On his way back, he saw a man, a mask covering half of his face, slowly walking towards Jaehyun from the other end of the hallway. Jaehyun slowed his pace, an uncomfortable feeling settling in his gut. Something about the man was not right. The man continued walking towards Jaehyun, eyes staring blankly through Jaehyun from above the mask. The closer he came, the worse Jaehyun felt, a cold sweat breaking out over his body. He unconsciously stopped walking, pausing in the middle of the hall. The man kept walking. Jaehyun felt bile rising in his throat, the scent of decay filling the air. He took a step back instinctively to increase the distance between him and the man. 

  
  


Wrong move.

  
  


No sooner than Jaehyun had shifted backwards, the man broke out into a jerky run towards Jaehyun, eyes still staring straight through him. Jaehyun immediately turned heel, running for the exit he had just come in from. His feet pounded the floor as he ran, not even bothering to check behind him. All he knew was that he had to get away from that man, those eyes, that smell. He burst through the doors to the parking lot, wildly looking around for somewhere to hide. He saw a black truck not too far away and made a beeline for it, throwing his body behind the bed of the truck just as the man burst through the doors. 

  
  


Jaehyun tried to get his breathing under control, taking quiet, shallow breaths, lungs about to explode. He waited, listening as the man shuffled into the parking lot. Jaehyun clapped a hand over his mouth, suddenly feeling like he was being too loud. He crouched down and peered past the edge of the truck, watching as the man wandered around, having lost sight of Jaehyun. Jaehyun watched until the man wandered around the corner of the building before letting out the breath he had been holding in. He kept his eyes trained on the corner where the man had disappeared while he slowly crept out from behind the truck, making his way past the passenger side until he was in front of the truck. 

  
  


It was at that moment that Johnny opened the doors leading to the parking lot, Donghyuck and Mark in tow. The three of them were chatting, the sounds of laughter piercing the formerly dead air. Jaehyun gasped, darting forward in an attempt to shut them up before the man came back. Johnny made eye contact with him as he ran towards them from the black truck, face lighting up.

  
  


“YOOOO! JaeHYUNNNS! What-” Jaehyun roughly cut him off by slapping his hand over Johnny’s face, Donghyuck and Mark staring at Jaehyun, bewildered by his strange behavior. Jaehyun ignored them and turned to look at the corner again, straining his ears for any sounds of shuffling. Donghyuck opened his mouth to speak, but Mark abruptly clapped his hand over his mouth, sniffing the air. Mark exchanged a glance with Johnny, who had already pried Jaehyun’s hand off his mouth in order to similarly sniff the air. Donghyuck looked lost, wondering why everybody was suddenly acting so weirdly.

  
  


“Do you smell that?” Mark asked Johnny quietly. 

  
  


Johnny nodded grimly, scanning the parking lot, quietly handing his keys to Mark. “Take my keys and go to the car. I’m going to check it out.” Mark stuffed the keys in his pocket, grabbed Donghyuck and Jaehyun, and immediately started hauling them off towards Johnny’s car, covering both of their mouths so they couldn’t complain. Once they got there, Mark briefly let go of Jaehyun to grab the keys and unlock the car. Jaehyun took advantage of his brief freedom to turn around just in time to see Johnny disappear around the corner where he had last seen the man. He gasped and made a run for Johnny, ignoring Mark’s furious whispers behind him.

  
  


He practically flew over the pavement, running as fast and silently as he could. The smell of rot grew stronger and stronger until he finally turned the corner, spotting Johnny in the distance. He slowed his pace to a fast walk, cautiously taking in his surroundings. His eyes grew wide with panic as he saw the shuffling figure on the left, just outside of Johnny’s field of vision. The figure broke into a manic run towards Johnny just as Jaehyun shouted, “ON YOUR LEFT!”

  
  


At the sound of his shout, the figure abruptly veered course and began running towards Jaehyun, Johnny whipping around and racing to intercept it. Jaehyun stumbled, not expecting the man to change targets. Luckily, Johnny quickly caught up to the man with his long legs and kicked him solidly in the back, sending the man flying to the ground in a heap. The man weakly pushed on the ground, trying to get up, but Johnny swiftly kicked him in the head, knocking him unconscious. Jaehyun gasped, running over to check that the man was alive. Just as he was about to put his fingers on the man’s neck to check his pulse, Johnny grabbed his arm.

  
  


“Don’t. He’s dead.” 

  
  


Jaehyun gaped at his roommate, at a loss for words. Johnny had just murdered a stranger. 

  
  


Johnny shook his head and rolled the man over with his foot, crouching and reaching out to gingerly peel the mask off his face. Johnny’s face darkened as he examined the man closely, touching him as little as possible. Jaehyun blankly stared at the man, feeling like he was missing something. Johnny finished his examination of the man and stood, grabbing Jaehyun’s arm and pulling him up.

  
  


“We need to get back to Mark.”

  
  


Jaehyun wrenched his arm out of Johnny’s grasp. “What the fuck.” 

  
  


Johnny sighed. “I’ll explain. But first we need to go.”

  
  


“No.”

  
  


“Jae, we can’t stay here with a dead body. We have to go.”

  
  


“You just killed a man!”

  
  


“He was already dead.”

  
  


At this, Jaehyun just stared at Johnny, dumbfounded. “He was moving. I saw him. He was alive and  _ you killed him _ , Johnny.” 

  
  


Johnny shook his head gently. “No, Jae, his body was moving but he wasn’t alive. You knew this,” Johnny pointed to the body on the ground. “You could smell it, he’s been dead for  _ days _ .” Jaehyun unwillingly looked at the body on the ground, noting how the lips were tinged blue, the flesh pale, a putrid stink emanating from it. Somewhere in his gut, he knew Johnny was right. The man had been dead for days. Johnny tugged on Jaehyun’s wrist insistently. 

  
  


“We’ve gotta go. I’ll explain. But we have to go.  _ Now _ .”

  
  


Jaehyun nodded numbly, letting Johnny lead him away from the corpse and towards Johnny’s car.

  
  


He hoped there was an explanation for all of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... um... well, I hope you paid attention to the tags before reading this fic! Shit is aboutta start hitting some fans, y'all. 
> 
> Poor Jaehyun has no clue wtf is going on. He did think that the man was super creepy and gave off bad vibes but that does not mean he wanted him dead- no, Jaehyun was just planning on running away from that crazy guy. Needless to say, he's a bit horrified when Johnny tells him he's dead LOL. 
> 
> ALSO, if you started reading this fic before I posted this chapter, you'll notice that I changed from using 2nd person into 3rd person! I realized it would make things a lot easier, so I went back and edited all the chapters yesterday, no biggie. It only took a *few* hours. *facepalm* But yeah, sorry for the confusion if you started this fic before I changed the POV!
> 
> How will Johnny explain things to Jaehyun?
> 
> Keep reading to find out!


	13. Where's the fire?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When dreams seem like real life, and real life seems like a nightmare.

Kaya hummed to herself as she drove, one hand on the wheel and the other fiddling with the grey hoodie she was wearing. She drove on autopilot, obediently following her GPS’s instructions, mind occupied by a certain dimpled smile and the scent of freshly laundered clothes. She unconsciously covered the lower half of her face with one hoodie-covered hand, eyes crinkling as she giggled quietly. She only snapped out of her stupor when she made it home, the GPS announcing her arrival. 

  
  


Kaya turned off the car and unbuckled her seatbelt before stepping out, closing the door behind her. She clicked the remote, the car doors locking with a resounding snap, before tugging on the door handle to make sure it was indeed locked. After the incident with the black car, she had made sure to check her door whenever she locked it. Nothing had been missing in the first place, but she figured it was a case of ‘better safe than sorry.’ 

  
  


Satisfied that the car was locked, Kaya headed up the driveway to the front door of her house, keys jangling as she searched for the right one. Just as she was about to unlock the door, it swung open, revealing her slightly miffed mother. Kaya had the presence of mind to look sheepish, issuing a quick apology as she made her way inside, taking her shoes off and placing them neatly by the door before heading to the kitchen, her mother following close behind. Kaya opened the fridge, rummaging around before finding some strawberries and pulling the carton out, not bothering to wash them before munching on one. Her mother’s eyebrows drew slightly down, clearly not approving of Kaya’s slobbish tendencies.

  
  


“Do you know what time it is?”

  
  


Kaya nodded, still munching. “I know. Sorry. I fell asleep and my friends didn’t wake me up until…” she glanced at the clock, “thirty minutes ago.” Kaya’s mother sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. 

  
  


“I thought you had work tomorrow?” she asked, resigned.

  
  


“Yeah, I’ll go to bed soon,” Kaya replied, rummaging around in the fridge again, finding some whipped cream in the back corner. She crowed victoriously, snapping the lid off before her mother snatched it out of her hands, recapping the cream and putting it back in the fridge. 

  
  


“I hardly think this is the time to be having whipped cream. Hurry and go to bed, it’s late.”

  
  


Kaya sighed. Some things never changed. She begrudgingly acquiesced, grabbing a couple more strawberries before putting the rest back in the fridge. She tore the stems off and threw them in the kitchen trash before heading up to her room, inhaling the few that were still in her hand. She washed her hands to rid them of the sticky residue before quickly getting ready for bed. 

  
  


Fifteen minutes later, Kaya was snugly tucked into bed, lying on her side, staring at the neatly folded grey hoodie sitting on top of her desk. She huffed a laugh as she remembered how petulant Jaehyun had looked as he demanded that she buy not two, but three drinks the next time she came. Jung Jaehyun, pouting over a _stamp_. Kaya pulled her blankets over her head, laughing quietly. It felt like she kept finding new sides to Jaehyun every time she saw him. 

  
  


Kaya cringed as she recalled the way she had thrown herself at him during the movie. How embarrassing. But the way he had so easily tugged her down into his arms had made her feel so… safe. Kaya couldn’t remember a time when she had felt so content to just exist - at least, not since she was a child, without a care in the world. 

  
  


That’s how she felt now, as she drifted off to sleep. Like she didn’t have a care in the world.

\----

Kaya dreamed that she was bounding in great leaps each leap higher and higher until she took flight, soaring high in the sky just under the clouds. She whooped with excitement as she bounded on air as if it were solid ground, behaving like a child. Suddenly she was tugged down harshly by her wrist. Kaya gasped, panic filling her as something dragged her towards the ground. She wrenched her wrist free of the invisible force gripping her and attempted to fly back to where she had come from, only for the force to return, seizing her by the back of her neck this time. Kaya plunged headfirst towards the surface of the Earth below, thrashing wildly as she tried to free herself to no avail. She opened her eyes wide as she fell, the ground coming nearer and nearer, until she was close enough to see that the ground was moving. No, it wasn’t the ground - it was _water_. Kaya took a deep breath just as she plunged beneath the surface, eyes reflexively closing as she made contact with the water. 

  
  


Kaya opened her eyes cautiously, almost gasping when she realized she was still traveling downwards, yet she was still dry. As the invisible force drove her downwards, she began to make out a speck of light in the distance. The distance between her and the light decreased as her captor propelled them downwards, until they drew close enough for Kaya to make out the shape of a land mass surrounded by a glowing barrier. The barrier blazed a soft blue, lighting up its surroundings well enough that Kaya could see schools of fish swimming by. As soon as they came near enough that Kaya could reach out and touch the barrier, the force vanished. Kaya looked around in confusion, not sure why she was here or what she was supposed to do. She focused on the barrier in front of her, examining it closely. Her eyes unfocused as she stared at it; it was pulsing, and gave off a strange warmth that sent a strange yearning through Kaya’s body. She could feel her blood pumping through her veins, her heartbeat growing louder and louder in her ears. 

  
  


_Touch._

  
  


Kaya lifted her hand slowly, mind fuzzy and pleasantly numb. Her mind went blank as she stretched out her fingertips to touch the barrier, inching closer with each passing second. After what seemed an eternity, her fingers made contact with the barrier and passed through it, sending waves of warmth up her fingers and down her spine. Her blood pulsed heavily in her veins, singing. 

  
  


_Home._

  
  


She pushed forward, the barrier welcoming her, burning a bright blue now. _Welcome back_ , it seemed to say, gently pushing her forward. Just as she made it to the other side of the barrier, the scene shifted, blue barrier and mysterious underwater island giving way to a well lit, drafty room. Kaya frowned, not pleased at the sudden shift in surroundings. 

  
  


She studied the room she was in, taking note of the limestone walls and high ceilings. Oddly, the room seemed rather bare, except for a tree growing in the middle of the room, seemingly growing from the stone itself. The tree was huge; it must have been at least 50 feet high, because it surpassed the high ceiling of the room and continued high into the sky. Even craning her neck back, Kaya couldn’t see the top of the tree. What she could see was leafless and bare, the trunk covered in grey, reddish bark. 

  
  


Kaya turned her attention back to the base of the tree, tired of craning her neck backwards. She startled when she realized there was someone sleeping at the bottom of the tree. She froze, not sure what to do. Finally, she hesitantly creeped forwards, gingerly stepping over the sprawling roots of the humongous tree until she could see the person’s face. She stared. He or she had shoulder-length jet black hair, fanning gently over pale skin, pale pink lips, and long eyelashes. Kaya couldn’t tell if it was a he or she, because they were terribly beautiful to look at, even when sleeping. She bit her lip and crept backwards, not wanting to disturb the person’s sleep, suddenly feeling wrong for staring uninvited. She ripped her eyes from his or her face and nimbly avoided the roots as she made her way over to the other side of the tree as quietly as possible. Once on the opposite side from the sleeping person, Kaya let out a quiet sigh of relief. The tree was huge, and the roots were proportionally huge, meaning it had been quite the journey for Kaya to get to the other side. She’d had to watch her feet the entire time, focusing on keeping her balance. Now, when she looked up, she realized the tree was hollow.

  
  


When she had first arrived, she must have been in the back half of the room, because now she could see that the tree wasn’t just a tree, but also a sort of massive chair. The roots were parted on either side of the trunk, twisting and knotting together until they formed the seat of the chair, trunk opening up to make the back of the chair, shooting up into the sky. Kaya breathed softly, a look of awe taking over her face. It wasn’t just a chair.

  
  


It was a throne.

  
  


“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  
  


Kaya gasped, turning to look at the person from before, now standing next to her. They were looking at the throne, examining it with an expression of what Kaya could only call melancholy. Kaya faced the throne again, wondering why they looked so sad.

  
  


“Once, there were many. Now, there is only one,” the person almost whispered, as if talking to themselves, the melancholy of their words settling into Kaya’s bones. She suddenly felt sad too, wondering what had happened to the rest of the trees. She and the person stood in silence as they looked at the throne, until Kaya found her voice.

  
  


“What happened to the others?” she asked hesitantly, sneaking a glance at the person. They finally turned to face her, locking eyes. Kaya gasped again. Their eyes were an electric blue, almost the same as the barrier she had seen from before. But where the barrier had been warm and welcoming, these eyes were full of sorrow and made her ache. Kaya felt like bursting into tears, an unspeakable sadness overcoming her. 

  
  


“They were taken,” the person said, still locking eyes with her. Kaya whimpered, hand coming up to her heart, wishing the ache would go away. 

  
  


“By who?” she asked. The person broke eye contact, looking up at the tree. Kaya exhaled in relief, heartache abating.

  
  


“The ones that take everything.”

  
  


“Who are they?” Kaya whispered, for some reason feeling afraid to hear the answer. The person turned back to her, opening their mouth to reply. 

  
  


“You need to wake up!” 

  
  


Kaya frowned. “What?”

  
  


“You need to wake up!”

  
  


Kaya shook her head, sure she hadn’t heard correctly. She opened her mouth to ask again, but no sound came out, and the person watched as she struggled to find her voice, mouth gaping like a fish. Kaya panicked, hands flying up to her throat as if she could claw her voice out of its prison. The scene shifted again, the room melting together as she struggled to regain control over her body. 

  
  


With a gasp, she woke up.

\----

Kaya yawned, covering her mouth with one sweater-covered hand. She sighed and continued sorting the disorganized pile of clothes in front of her, moving sluggishly. A pair of hands reached out and grabbed the red blouse at the top of the stack in front of her. Kaya turned to look blearily at Sophie, who was now folding clothes speedily next to her.

  
  


“‘How many hours left ‘til we’re done, Soph?” Kaya asked tiredly. 

  
  


“Like I said ten minutes ago, there’s still another hour until we’re done. What happened, couldn’t sleep because of lover boy?” Sophie teased. 

  
  


Kaya laughed weakly. “Yeah, I wish… No, I just had a weird dream.”

  
  


“Don’t you always have weird dreams?”

  
  


“Yeah, but this one was… I dunno, it was different,” Kaya groaned, straightening up from her squat. 

  
  


Sophie slowed her folding to look at Kaya curiously. “What was it about?”

  
  


Kaya shook her head, frowning a little. “I don’t know. But I woke up feeling like.. Like someone sucked all the warmth out of my body. Like I would never be warm or happy again.”

  
  


“Did you just quote Harry Potter?” Sophie asked incredulously.

  
  


Kaya snickered, nudging her friend with her elbow. “I wish, but no, that’s not even a quote.” She moved towards the next pile that was waiting to be folded. She sighed as she picked up an armful of clothes, intending to bring them to the fitting room counter so she could stand and fold instead of squatting and folding. She grunted as she gathered them into her arms, struggling to see over the tall pile she was now holding. Perhaps she had been overzealous. She yelped as she felt some of the clothes drop from the bottom of the pile to cover her feet.

  
  


“Uh, Sophie… my dear friend… a little help please?” she called her friend behind her. Sophie sighed and walked over to grab the items that had dropped, placing them on the top of the pile in Kaya’s arms, draping a pink fuzzy sweater over Kaya’s face in the process.

  
  


“Gee, thanks. I didn’t know your idea of helping was to block my vision,” Kaya stated sarcastically. Sophie laughed and took half of the pile from Kaya after freeing her head from its fuzzy pink prison. 

  
  


“Thanks, although I don’t know if I should thank you because…” Kaya trailed off as she stared down at the bright blue sweater on the top of the newly diminished pile. Sophie looked between Kaya and the sweater, confused. 

  
  


“What, is it stained?”

  
  


“No,” Kaya answered blankly. “This color… it was in my dream.”

  
  


The girls startled as the door to the back room slammed shut. Robb walked out, tapping away on his phone, pausing when he registered the two girls standing there with piles of clothes in their arms. 

  
  


“Is something the matter?” he asked, putting his phone in his back pocket, eyes traveling between Sophie and Kaya.

  
  


“No, no, not at all! We were just about to fold these, then sort the clothes in the dressing room,” Sophie replied hurriedly.

  
  


Robb nodded stiffly, turning to leave them to their business before pausing and turning back around, looking straight at Kaya. She swallowed, throat dry. “Are you wearing perfume today Miss Lee?” 

  
  


Next to her, Kaya heard Sophie suck her breath in softly. Sophie had asked her the same thing when she had seen her earlier. “No, I don’t like perfume, I never wear it.” 

  
  


Robb kept staring at Kaya, gaze obscure. “Alright then. Carry on, Miss Lee, Miss Chiu.” He pulled out his phone again, tapping away furiously as he resumed his walk to the exit. They watched him leave, only remembering that they were supposed to be working after he had gone. 

  
  


“Do I smell really weird or something?” Kaya asked Sophie as they made their way to the fitting rooms. 

  
  


“Not weird, just unusual.”

  
  


“Gee, that helps. Thanks.” 

  
  


Sophie rolled her eyes. “It’s hard to explain. You smell like… fresher than usual?”

  
  


“So do I usually smell like a corpse or something?” Kaya snickered disbelievingly, half offended and half amused. 

  
  


Sophie rolled her eyes and shoved some more clothes at her. “Shut up and fold.”

\----

One torturous hour later, Sophie and Kaya were finished with their shift. They exited the store together, Sophie insistent on accompanying Kaya to the cafe. Kaya agreed halfheartedly, not really wanting her best friend to see her turn into a puddle of goo in front of Jaehyun. Then again, she could use the help, today she was supposed to get three drinks and she couldn’t finish them on her own. Sophie grinned victoriously when Kaya said as much and dragged her towards the cafe. They entered the cafe boisterously, the door swinging shut behind them. Once Kaya’s eyes landed on the boy behind the counter, her face fell slightly. Taeyong waved to them from behind the register, wearing the familiar pink apron with the cafe’s name on it.

  
  


“Hey guys! Long time no see,” Taeyong joked. 

  
  


“Hey Taeyong… Jaehyun’s not working today?” Kaya asked, smiling back. 

  
  


“Nope. Sorry, it’s just me today,” Taeyong rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. 

  
  


“Nah, you’re more than enough,” Kaya chuckled, causing Taeyong’s face to brighten. He beamed at her, hands hovering over the register.

  
  


“So, what can I get you?”

  
  


Kaya shrugged. “Surprise me?” 

  
  


“You got it. And Sophie?”

  
  


“I hate surprises, but I’ll have whatever she has,” Sophie replied, smiling at Taeyong. He nodded and recited the total, Kaya paying for both drinks. She and Sophie kept a running tab with each other, and currently Kaya owed her money. Curse those BTS tickets. At this rate it would take her another month to pay Sophie back. 

  
  


They sat at an empty table while Taeyong bustled around making their drinks behind the counter, Sophie staring out the window, Kaya staring at the art on the cafe walls, each lost in their own thoughts. The peace of the moment was broken when Taeyong called out their names, done preparing their drinks. Kaya made her way over to the counter, taking the first sip of her drink, humming in delight at the honey and lemon tea.

  
  


“Hey, if you don’t mind me asking, what kind of honey do you guys use? Jae never tells me, but it tastes so much sweeter than the other honey I’ve had before,” Kaya inquired.

  
  


Taeyong tilted his head. “Jaehyun didn’t tell you?”

  
  


“Nope. Every time I ask he just smiles and doesn’t answer,” Kaya complained, wrinkling her nose.

  
  


Taeyong laughed. “Well, I have no intention of spoiling the surprise. Better luck next time.” 

  
  


Kaya stuck her tongue out at him as she took their drinks back to the table, Sophie still staring blankly out the window. 

  
  


“Here, honey and lemon tea,” she said, pushing the drink into Sophie’s hands. Sophie nodded absentmindedly and sipped on the drink. Kaya resumed her study of the cafe’s interior, the pair sitting in silence, content to simply exist in that moment. The quiet was interrupted when Sophie gasped, Kaya turning her attention back to her friend at the sound. Sophie stared out the window, her gaze sharp as she focused on something in the distance. Abruptly, she stood up, startling Kaya.

  
  


“Let’s go home,” Sophie suggested, collecting her things. Kaya shrugged and took another sip of her drink before she started putting her jacket back on. Apparently Kaya wasn’t moving quickly enough, so Sophie started grabbing Kaya’s things as well before tugging her out of her seat. Kaya looked at her friend, bemused as Sophie dragged them out of the cafe, yelling a hurried goodbye to Taeyong on the way. 

  
  


“Where’s the fire?” Kaya asked once they were out of the cafe, Sophie letting go of her arm.

  
  


Sophie snorted. “No fire. But it’s getting late, we should get home.”

  
  


Kaya raised her eyebrow, not convinced, but deciding to let it go. Sophie was weird sometimes, like the time she had almost vomited after a guy with particularly strong cologne had tried to hit on her. Kaya hadn’t thought it was that bad, but Sophie had immediately made a beeline for the nearest bathroom, covering her nose with her sleeve. There had also been the time when Sophie had broken her pinky toe and shut herself in her room for almost two weeks, breaking off contact with Kaya. 

  
  


In comparison, Sophie abruptly dragging them away from the cafe was almost tame. 

  
  


Sophie lengthened her stride, forcing Kaya to try and match her pace as she speedwalked to their cars. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, a niggling sensation in the back of her mind telling her to be careful. Kaya slowed her pace as she looked around, looking for the cause of her sudden unease. She scanned the parking lot, not sure what she was looking for, when suddenly she saw it, parked at the end of the row.

  
  


The black car.

  
  


“Sophie.”

  
  


Sophie glanced over her shoulder at Kaya, face pinching when she followed her gaze to the black car stationed at the end of the row. She held out her arm, preventing Kaya from walking further as she studied the car from afar, eyes narrowed. 

  
  


“C’mon. Let’s go around.” 

  
  


Kaya nodded in agreement, starting to feel nauseous just from looking at the car. They veered away from the car and crossed into the next row. As they crossed the median between the rows, a flash of fear suddenly took hold of Kaya, palms sweating. She gasped, feeling as if she had been doused with freezing water, her senses coming alive. Sophie gasped next to her and grabbed Kaya’s arm harshly, breaking into a sprint. Something told Kaya to stay quiet and low, so they ran without speaking a word. 

  
  


Just as Sophie’s car came into view, a shriek pierced the silence and a figure flung itself out from in between the cars ahead of them. Kaya yelped in surprise just as Sophie yanked her away from the figure that was now jerkily running towards them, its arms hanging uselessly by its sides. Sophie hissed and gritted her teeth, urging Kaya to run faster by tugging on her wrist hard enough to bruise.

  
  


Wordlessly, they continued to run away from the figure, feet slapping against the pavement in a frantic race to Kaya’s car. Kaya couldn’t help but dart a glance at the person running after them, eyes widening in terror as she saw that they were still running stiffly after them. Kaya watched as their hand came up to remove the mask from their face, revealing blue lips which opened widely to release an ear-piercing shriek, shattering the silence. 

  
  


Kaya wrenched her wrist free from Sophie’s grip as she clapped her hands over her ears, stumbling as the shriek resounded in her skull, vision blurring. She hazily made out the shape of another figure running towards them from the end of the row as Sophie grimly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and forced her to get up and keep running, still not saying anything. Kaya staggered onwards, head throbbing. 

  
  


At long last, they made it to Kaya’s car. Sophie let go of Kaya briefly to search for her keys, tearing through Kaya’s purse. She found them quickly and unlocked the car, getting in the driver’s side, motioning at Kaya to get in the passenger’s seat. Once Kaya was in, Sophie locked the doors and hastily turned on the car, putting it in reverse. Kaya’s headache lessened enough for her to uncover her ears, breath coming in harsh pants as she looked out the window anxiously, waiting for the figures to reappear. Sophie sped out of the parking lot, their pursuers growing smaller in the distance. Kaya melted into the seat when they finally exited the parking lot, feeling faint. Sophie’s knuckles were almost white from how hard she was gripping the steering wheel as she drove, tight-lipped and grim.

  
  


“I need you to call your mom.” Kaya jumped at the sound of Sophie’s voice, still on edge. She nodded mutely and pulled out her phone, dialing her mom’s number. 

  
  


“ _Hello?”_ Kaya’s mom answered. Sophie snatched the phone away from Kaya just as she was about to answer, leaving Kaya to gape at Sophie as she put the phone to her ear.

  
  


“It’s Sophie. They found us at work. We’ll follow the plan as discussed. Our ETA is in thirty minutes, prepare accordingly,” Sophie fired off into the phone. Kaya stared, dumbfounded. Sophie hung up, not even bothering to wait for a reply.

  
  


“I only live twenty minutes away,” Kaya said at last.

  
  


“We’re not gonna take the usual route, it’s too risky,” Sophie explained. “We need to throw them off our trail.”

  
  


“Who?”

  
  


Sophie exhaled, checking the rearview mirror. “It’s a long explanation, and you deserve to know everything. But right now, I need to focus on getting you home safely,” she replied tersely. “Besides, your mom should be the one to explain.”

  
  


“My mom? What does my mom have to do with this? And speaking of my mom, weren’t you being a little rude when you talked to her? You almost sounded like you were-” Kaya waved her hands around, searching for the right word, “ _ordering_ her. Why would _you_ be ordering my _mother_ around?” she said accusingly. 

  
  


Sophie grimaced. “It’s a long story. But you’re right, I was ordering her.”

  
  


“Why?”

  
  


Sophie sighed, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. “I’m her.. superior.”

  
  


“What.” 

  
  


Sophie’s fingers tapped nervously on the wheel, eyes still checking the rearview mirror every so often. “We’re almost there. Get ready,” she said, stubbornly avoiding Kaya’s eyes. 

  
  


Kaya settled for crossing her arms and sitting back in her seat grumpily, knowing it would be impossible to get answers out of Sophie when she acted this way. Five minutes later, they had arrived at Kaya’s house. No sooner than they had pulled into the driveway did Kaya’s mother come out of the house with two luggages, Jack’s cat carrier, and an empty backpack, shoving the backpack into Kaya’s hands.

  
  


“Go inside and pack anything you can’t live without. I already packed clothes for you in one of these,” Kaya’s mom said, gesturing to the bags next to her. Kaya opened her mouth to demand an explanation, but Kaya’s mom cut her off with a firm look that left no room for argument. Kaya’s mouth clicked shut and she stalked up the path to the front door, irritated at being kept out of the loop for so long. She went to her room and grabbed the things she couldn’t live without- her laptop, phone charger, laptop charger, a few clothes her mom hadn’t grabbed, extra money, chapstick, a notebook, pen, and an extension cord. As she was about to leave the room, Jaehyun’s hoodie caught her eye, still lying neatly on her desk. She hesitated before grabbing it and stuffing it in her bag. She paused briefly to look around her room, checking that she hadn’t forgotten anything important.

  
  


“Kaya!” her mom called from downstairs. “We have to go, come down!”

  
  


“Coming!” Kaya yelled back, hurrying out of her room and down the stairs. Her mother was waiting at the door, keys in hand, locking the door as soon as Kaya exited through it. She shooed her towards the car where Sophie was already in the driver’s seat. Kaya stared at her.

  
  


“My car.”

  
  


“You don’t know where we’re going. I’m driving.”

  
  


“You’re not insured.”

  
  


Sophie rolled her eyes. “Just get in. Insurance is the least of your worries right now.” Kaya grumbled, but got into the back seat next to Jack, her mother taking the passenger seat. 

  
  


“Besides,” Sophie continued, starting the car and reversing out of the driveway. “You won’t want to be driving when you hear what we have to say.”

  
  


“Oh yeah? And what’s that?” Kaya retorted.

  
  


Sophie and Kaya’s mother exchanged a glance, Sophie nodding affirmatively. Kaya’s mother visibly hesitated, looking down as she gathered the courage to face her daughter. At last, she turned to face Kaya, looking at her beseechingly.

  
  


“Please understand. I wasn’t sure until recently when Sophie told me, and I thought… I thought you would be safer if you didn’t know. I thought... “ she trailed off, faltering. 

  
  


“You thought what, Mom?” Kaya prompted her, leaning forward, filled with a burning desire to know what it was that her mom hadn’t told her. She had never seen her like this, pleading for Kaya to understand. “Mom, what are you not telling me?”

  
  


Her mother held her daughter’s gaze as she opened her mouth to give voice to the very words she had sworn to never say to her daughter. 

  
  


“You’re not human.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For everybody who thought it would be a Jaehyun chapter, I'm sorry huehue. Kind of. Ish. You didn't think I was gonna make it so easy to know what's going on, right? 
> 
> Feel free to yell at me in the comments :)
> 
> If Kaya isn't human, then what is she?
> 
> Keep reading to find out!


	14. Overrated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaya finally gets some answers.

Kaya dissolved into a fit of giggles. “I’m sorry, what did you say? I thought,” she paused, catching her breath, “that you said I’m  _ not human _ ?” She wiped a tear from her eye. Her mother always knew how to make her laugh when she was upset. 

  
  


“That’s what I said.”

  
  


The smile faded from Kaya’s face as she took in her mother’s serious expression. She leaned forward, eyes worriedly searching her mother’s. “Mom, are you okay? Are you sick?”

  
  


Her mother shook her head. “I’m not sick, Kaya. Please understand,” she said pleadingly, reaching out to pull Kaya’s hands in her own. “I wanted you to lead a normal life. I thought you would be safer that way.”

  
  


Kaya felt beyond confused as she returned her mother’s imploring gaze. She looked down at her body, obviously human. She didn’t understand. She had the same limbs, the same human features and abilities as anybody else. She was small, sure, but humans came in all shapes, sizes, and even shades. Just what about her wasn’t human?

  
  


“To be precise, you’re  _ half _ human,” her mother replied. Kaya blinked. Her mother’s hands rubbed hers soothingly in between hers, a calming sensation. The car was filled with a loaded silence as Kaya searched her mom’s face for a sign that this was all some horrible joke, but only found pleading sincerity. Kaya released the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding, deciding to humor her mother.

  
  


“Then what am I?”

  
  


Her mother hesitated, still holding Kaya’s hands. “I think it’ll be easier to understand if I explain where we come from. Is that okay?” 

  
  


Kaya nodded, stupefied as her mother cleared her throat and launched into her explanation. 

  
  


“Long ago, back when human civilization was just beginning to put down roots, another society already existed on this planet. Do you remember how I used to read you stories about Atlantis?”

  
  


Kaya smiled fondly, feeling nostalgic. “How could I forget?”

  
  


As a child, Kaya’s mother had read to her about many myths and legends, her favorite being the one about the magical island of Atlantis and all its inhabitants. Kaya had particularly loved the stories about Atlantis- a nation so great and undefeatable that many had feared it despite its small size. Kaya had wanted to be like that when she grew up, too: small, yet fierce and proud. She had been laughed at several times growing up when she would respond to questions of “Who’s your role model?” with “Atlantis,” during class, her teacher gently reminding her that a role model is a person, not a place. 

  
  


Kaya paused, reminiscing interrupted by a realization. “Are you saying I’m half Atlantean?”

  
  


“No, no, you’re not Atlantean. Atlantis doesn’t exist. But the stories are based on the truth,” Kaya’s mother replied. “A nation with fearsome inhabitants, fierce and proud. Even the part where they sank into the water, never to resurface again. But that place wasn’t called Atlantis, nor was it inhabited by humans. No,” she continued, traces of longing seeping into her voice. “It was our home.”

  
  


Her mother held her hands tighter. “Over the centuries, it’s been given several different names by different human scientists and philosophers.  _ Mu _ , _ Mauritia _ ,  _ Kumari Kingdom _ … each culture had its own name for it.” Kaya traced her mother’s features with her eyes as she spoke. She looked wistful, eyes misted over as she recalled memories long buried. “But its true name is  _ Lemuria _ . That’s where my ancestors are from, and where yours are from.”

  
  


Kaya let the words sink in. So far, she could accept her mother’s story. She wasn’t sure she believed it yet, but her mother was doing a good job of swaying her; she had never heard her sound so wistful, not even when she reminisced about her childhood. Kaya also knew when her mother was lying- she was horrible at it- and right now she couldn’t detect any trace of dishonesty in her mother’s words.

  
  


But Kaya’s question still remained unanswered. 

  
  


“What were they?” 

  
  


Her mother paused, the mist of nostalgia lifting briefly. She shot a helpless glance at Sophie, still driving the car towards their unknown destination. Sophie remained stoic as she focused on the road ahead. Kaya’s mother sighed, knowing she would have to come clean sooner or later. 

  
  


It would be best to cut to the chase. 

  
  


“Lemurs.”

  
  


A moment went by, and then another as Kaya gawked at her mother. A landmass sinking into the ocean, she could accept; tectonic plates shifted all the time. An old, ancient society that was even older than humans, she could accept; dinosaurs existed way before humans did. She could even accept the possibility that she wasn’t completely human; she believed in aliens, so it wouldn’t be strange if she were one herself.

  
  


But in this moment, she couldn’t accept that she had heard that correctly. She was sure if someone looked inside her mind right now, they would find it perfectly blank. She didn’t know what she had been expecting, if she was being honest, but ‘lemurs’ was definitely not it. She tried to bring up an image of the furry little creature, but only managed to conjure up the flying lemur from  _ Avatar: The Last Airbender _ . She shook her head, getting rid of the cartoon character. 

  
  


“No. That doesn’t make sense. That’s insane.”

  
  


“Is it?” said Sophie for the first time since the conversation had begun. “Think about it. Humans were originally monkeys. Why couldn’t we be evolved from lemurs? You got your degree in Biology, Kaya. You know just as well as we do that it’s entirely possible. In fact,” Sophie added, “humans are  _ proof _ that it’s possible.” 

  
  


Kaya thought about it. Was it possible? Sure, humans evolved from monkeys, but lemurs were a completely different species, despite being part of the primate family. Lemurs had evolved independently from monkeys; their evolution wasn’t supposed to be related to each other at all. If what Sophie and her mother were saying was true, then how did they come to have the same form as humans? And how did nobody know about them?

  
  


“Suppose that’s true. Then how come we look exactly like,” Kaya gestured towards the world that was passing them by, “humans?”

  
  


“Actually,  _ humans _ look like  _ us _ . Like your mom said before, Lemuria existed long before human civilization began. Humans are the result of an experiment that ancient Lemurians conducted. You could even say that Lemurians are the creator of the modern human.”

  
  


Kaya exhaled in disbelief, mind reeling from the sudden influx of information. That was a lot to take in. “So.. let me get this straight. I’m half lemur, half human… or monkey, I guess.. And my ancestors came from a continent that’s now underwater, and they also created humans? And you guys aren’t human, you’re Lemurian, which is apparently different from human? And somehow no scientist or philosopher has figured this out yet because…?” She trailed off, looking at her mom and the back of Sophie’s seat expectantly.

  
  


“Oh, there have been several people who figured it out throughout history,” Sophie replied from the driver’s seat. “We just didn’t allow them to spread the secret.”

  
  


“We? How many more of you are there?”

  
  


“ _ Us _ ,” her mother corrected. “And quite a few, although not nearly as many as before,” her eyes took on the same misty glaze from before. “Out of the total world population, I believe only around 150,000 remain.”

  
  


“For now,” Sophie muttered under her breath. 

  
  


“For now? What does that mean?” Kaya asked tiredly, growing weary of asking so many questions. It felt like every time she got an answer, another fifteen questions would pop up in her head. She rubbed her temples with her fingers, attempting to assuage the oncoming headache. 

  
  


“It’s complicated, but it’s actually the reason we had to leave,” Sophie answered. “To put it bluntly, we’re being hunted. I’ve been instructed not to say any more than that for now, so you’ll have to bear with the lack of information,” she shot an apologetic glance at Kaya through the rearview mirror. “We’re almost there, but you can ask me questions and I’ll answer to the best of my abilities.”

  
  


Kaya nodded, perking up. “Where are we going?”

  
  


“We’re going to meet up with the rest of our people.”

  
  


“You mean they’re all here, in LA?”

  
  


“No. Only a portion of us are here at the moment.”

  
  


“Isn’t it dangerous for all of us to gather in one place if we’re being hunted?”

  
  


“It’s more dangerous to be spread out, where they could pick us off individually.”

  
  


“Who is ‘they’?”

  
  


“I can’t answer that.”

  
  


“Who do you work for?”

  
  


“I can’t answer that. Five minutes until we arrive.”

  
  


Kaya scowled. Five minutes was only enough time for one more question. She contemplated it carefully, not wanting to ask something Sophie couldn’t answer. Her eyes drifted to the scenery speeding by, running through the day’s events briefly before deciding on her final question.

  
  


“Who are you, Sophie Chiu?” 

  
  


Sophie laughed, surprised. “I’m your best friend. But,” she continued after making eye contact with an unsatisfied Kaya in the mirror, “I’m also your protector and guardian. I can’t say more than that, we’re here.”

  
  


‘Here’ was a quiet, deserted beach. Sophie parked the car just up the road and quickly hopped out, urging Kaya on when she took too long unbuckling her seatbelt. Kaya’s mother grabbed one of the luggages and Sophie took the other, leaving Kaya to grab her backpack and Jack’s cat carrier. She peered in on her cat, surprised that he hadn’t complained for the duration of the long car ride. Amber eyes met hers from within the confines of the cat carrier, slowly disappearing as Jack yawned, sharp canines gleaming in the light of the setting sun. He nestled into the fuzzy blanket Kaya’s mother had lined the carrier with, setting his head on his paws and closing his eyes.

  
  


Kaya cooed internally before wrapping both of her arms around the carrier, trying her best not to jostle it during her descent towards the beach. She glanced around as she walked, automatically following Sophie as she led them to their destination. The beach was completely deserted, save for a couple of seagulls in the distance. The setting sun touched the top of the water as it fell, sending streaks of pink and orange across the sky in all directions, the water glistening in response. Kaya would have been content to sit on the sand and watch the sun as it set, had she been there under different circumstances. 

  
  


They trekked across the peaceful beach towards a cluster of rocks that extended quite a ways into the water. They traipsed across the rocky terrain, the trio nimble and quick despite their encumbersome baggage. As they drew closer, Kaya realized the rocks at the end formed a sort of cove just large enough to hide a black motorboat from view. When they finally made it to the cove, Sophie set the luggage down and climbed into the motorboat, gesturing for Kaya to hand her the luggage once she was safely in. They handed her the luggages and Jack’s cat carrier before finally getting in themselves. 

  
  


Kaya and her mother settled in as best as they could as Sophie threw off the tether holding the motorboat to the rocks and inserted the key into the ignition, the motorboat roaring to life and breaking the peace of the quiet beach. Sophie reversed the boat out of the small cove and turned them around before punching the throttle. Kaya yelped as she jerked back from the impact, clutching Jack’s carrier to her chest. Jack yowled, not pleased at the rude awakening from his catnap. Kaya murmured to him, calming him down as they sped across the waves towards their mysterious destination.

  
  


Kaya watched Sophie as she drove- or whatever it was called. She had known Sophie for five years, ever since freshman year of college. They had met at the first floor meeting of the year. Contrary to what people might think, they hadn’t exactly hit it off right away; they had actually been quite awkward. But they had managed to bond over a mutual interest in music, and later, dancing. Sophie had also been extremely persistent in getting Kaya to eat dinner with her everyday- something Kaya had been unused to, as her mother was usually working during dinner. Kaya was used to eating when she felt like it, and usually alone. At first she had found it slightly stifling to have to eat with someone every day, but somewhere along the way, she had become accustomed to Sophie’s presence. 

  
  


She couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment their awkward friendship had really developed into something much more comfortable, but by their second year of college, Sophie and Kaya became roommates and were practically glued at the hip, never really apart for long. Their friends used to tease them by calling them the same person. It had annoyed Kaya for a while, until she realized that most of them said that out of jealousy more than anything else. With that realization came the understanding that it didn’t matter what anybody else thought or said about their friendship; they were best friends, and nobody’s opinion was going to change that.

  
  


But now, looking back on it, Kaya couldn’t help but feel insecure. Had she simply been a mission to Sophie? Sophie had said she was Kaya’s protector and guardian. Was the Sophie she knew the real Sophie? And why did Kaya need protecting? 

  
  


Exactly who was Sophie Chiu?

  
  


About forty minutes of silent contemplation passed before a sharp nudge to her arm caused Kaya to turn her attention to her mother, who pointed in the distance. Kaya squinted through the dusky air as she peered in the direction her mother was pointing, narrowing her eyes as she spotted a grey speck, bobbing in the water. Evidently that was their destination, as Sophie adjusted the boat so they were headed straight for it. Kaya gasped as they came close enough to finally see what it was.

  
  


It looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie: it was on par with the Millenium Falcon from Star Wars, the Enterprise from Star Trek, and the huge helicarriers from the Avengers. Battleship wasn’t the right word for it, because it looked nothing like the traditional battleships that Kaya had seen pictures of; and yet, it could only be a battleship, with its metallic grey hull and many gleaming guns and cannons. The most baffling thing about the ship was that it was hollow straight down the middle; it looked like someone had taken a gigantic pool stick and jammed it through the ship, creating a hole that stretched from the bow to the stern. It was easily one of the most bizarre things Kaya had ever seen in her life.

  
  


The battleship loomed over them as they approached, Sophie steering them towards the gaping hole in the ship. When they got close enough, Sophie switched the engine off, allowing them to smoothly cruise in. Kaya and her mother watched with bated breath, eyes wide as they entered the hole. No sooner than they were completely in did a panel descend behind them with a resounding  _ clang _ , preventing them from returning the way they had come. Kaya startled, muscles tensing. 

  
  


“Relax, Kaya,” Sophie snickered. “They’re just going stealth now that we’re here.”

  
  


Kaya ignored the geek inside her that leapt at the mention of stealth mode and focused on their surroundings. Or, tried to. Another panel came down at the other end of the tunnel, leaving them in pitch black darkness. Kaya heard a  _ click _ and all of a sudden, the tunnel was flooded with light, so bright that Kaya had to throw up an arm to protect her poor retinas. 

  
  


“Identify yourselves,” a voice ordered.

  
  


Next to her, Kaya felt her mom shift uncomfortably. Did she know the owner of the voice? Sophie’s voice rang out in response. “ _ Izaho Tiana.  _ I am returning from my mission with  _ Tsaroana _ and her daughter, as promised.” Kaya listened intently from behind her arm as her eyes tried to adjust. Was that another language?

  
  


“Mission password.”

  
  


“ _ Ra mifangaro _ .”

  
  


“Welcome back,  _ Tiana _ . And  _ Tsaroana _ , it has been too long. This is your daughter?”

  
  


At the mention of her name, Kaya brought her arm down from her eyes, blinking rapidly in an attempt to focus on the figure above them. Standing at the top of a set of stairs that led from their boat up to the ship was a woman around her mother’s age, with a neatly tied bun of grey-streaked black hair, wearing a dark red jumpsuit. She had wrinkles around her eyes from smiling and had an air of self-assurance. She stood with her feet a shoulder width apart, hands clasped behind her back, the pose screaming a military background.

  
  


“Hello  _ Tsiky _ . Yes, this is Kaya,” her mother replied from next to her. “She hasn’t been Named yet.” Kaya shot a side glance at her mother, who was resolutely looking at the woman. What did that mean?

  
  


The woman smiled in understanding and nodded to Kaya before motioning for them to come join her. “Come.  _ Beloha _ here will take care of your belongings and move the boat.” 

  
  


A young man appeared from behind her and shot a furtive glance at Kaya as he passed the trio to take care of their luggage. Jack complained when the young man accidentally hit the carrier in a clumsy attempt to gather all of the luggages at once. Kaya doubled back down the steps and graciously took Jack’s carrier from the man- no more than a boy, really.

  
  


“He’s a little grumpy about being in the carrier,” Kaya apologized to the boy. The boy stared at Kaya in response, giving no indication that he had heard her. Kaya awkwardly muttered a thanks and returned up the stairs where Sophie, her mom, and the woman were waiting for her.

“You ready for this?” Sophie smiled at Kaya.

  
  


Kaya laughed. After all she had been through today, she felt like nothing could surprise her anymore. “Being ready is overrated.”

  
  


“Shall we?” the woman suggested, motioning to a set of doors straight ahead. “Everyone is waiting.”

  
  


Kaya gulped. The woman led the way, Kaya’s mother following shortly behind, Sophie walking next to Kaya. Kaya eyed the doors apprehensively, not knowing what to expect. Today had been so full of crazy surprises that she didn’t know if she had the mental capacity to deal with any more than she already had. They reached the doors in no time, the woman and her mother pushing through them first. Kaya stopped right before she could go through them. Sophie noticed and hung back, letting Kaya take a moment.

  
  


“Whenever you’re ready.”

  
  


Kaya exhaled slowly, allowing herself a small smile before reaching out to push the doors open.

  
  


“Being ready is overrated.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:  
> Izaho Tiana - I'm Tiana  
> Ra mifangaro - mixed blood
> 
> Sometimes, you just gotta do whatever it is you don't think you're ready to do. Idk if y'all have heard, but there's a saying that if you ever have something you don't want to do, you should just count to 3 and then get up and do it. Don't overthink. Just do!
> 
> Ik some of y'all might think Kaya just needs to get with the program already, but in her defense I think she's doing her best. I mean, can you imagine your mother telling you you're actually half lemur and humans were created by lemurs? And then finding out that your best friend is secretly some kind of bodyguard for you? And, she was almost attacked earlier that day, so it's a lot to process in the short span of a couple hours...
> 
> TL;DR cut Kaya some slack, she's not having a good day in Ch. 13 & 14 LOL
> 
> Hey you know what the title means now :)
> 
> What on Earth is Kaya walking into?
> 
> Keep reading to find out!


	15. Inhumane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaehyun works out some issues.

Jaehyun towelled the sweat from his neck, grimacing at the unpleasant sticky sensation. He ignored the giggles coming from the other side of the room, carelessly tossing the towel on the bench and reaching for his water bottle. He took a long drag from the contents, breath raggedly puffing out in between greedy sips. 

  
  


Having satisfied his thirst, he set his water bottle down and started strapping his gloves back on, tugging the second glove’s strap on with his teeth. He got into a fighting stance, focusing on the punching bag with a single-minded intensity that seemed to emanate from him in heated waves. He exhaled, long and slow, emptying his mind of all unnecessary thoughts, letting the fire that was burning deep in his stomach spread up his torso and through his shoulders, down his arms to his curled up fists. He held the fire, letting it grow until his entire body felt like it was ablaze: and then, all at once, he let the energy explode out of him, raining a flurry of fists down on the punching bag. He grunted as he pounded away at the bag, eyes dark, jaw clenched. 

  
  


Jaehyun was angry.

  
  


He had been here for ten days now, and his mood only seemed to grow more sour with each passing day. Johnny’s words echoed in his mind against his wishes.

  
  


_ I’m so sorry.  _

  
  


Unbelievable.

  
  


_ I was ordered not to tell you. _

  
  


Ridiculous.

  
  


_ They were heroes. _

  
  


Jaehyun punched the punching bag viciously one last time, panting from the overexertion. The bag rattled from the assault, the supporting chains clinking loudly. Jaehyun stood there, one fist pressed to the bag, the other still held up in front of him. He slowly put his hands down, still glaring at the bag as if it was the source of his problems. 

  
  


It wasn’t Johnny’s fault. He knew that. That didn’t stop a sense of betrayal from rooting itself deep in his gut, like a festering wound that wouldn’t heal. No matter how many times he told himself that it wasn’t his best friend’s fault, the anger still came. And when it did, he went to the gym to work his frustrations on something that wasn’t Johnny’s face.

  
  


Jaehyun felt another trickle of sweat make its way down his face. He stepped towards the bench and picked up his towel again, roughly wiping the sweat from his face.

  
  


“You’ll break out if you’re not careful.”

  
  


Jaehyun glanced at Donghyuck, the younger casually sitting on the floor nearby, legs crossed with one arm resting on his knee, his hand propping his face up as he watched Jaehyun. Jaehyun wasn’t surprised to see him. The younger had caught on to Jaehyun’s routine of working-out-so-I-don’t-punch-Johnny and had made a habit of appearing when he felt Jaehyun had been in the gym for long enough.

  
  


Donghyuck nodded at the towel Jaehyun was still using to wipe himself down. “If you’re too harsh with your face, even you will break out, Jung Jaehyun. You should pat instead.”

  
  


Jaehyun sighed, knowing it was useless to argue. He begrudgingly patted the towel against his forehead, knowing that if he didn’t, Donghyuck would pester him until he was tired. Which was never. 

  
  


Donghyuck watched Jaehyun pat himself with a satisfied smirk. A titter of giggles broke out again on the other side of the room. Donghyuck shot a knowing glance over towards the source of the noise.

  
  


“I see your fan club has grown again.”

  
  


Jaehyun shook his head, resolutely focusing on his belongings as he arranged them in a neat pile. He had learned that if he so much as turned to look at the gaggle of giggling girls who were pretending to work out, he would only encourage them. He had tried politely asking them to leave him alone the first couple days, to no avail. The group had only grown larger after each interaction. 

“I don’t know why they… I dunno. Why they do this,” Jaehyun waved his hand around. “Follow me to the gym. Follow me to the mess hall. Follow me to the deck.” He sighed, gathering the neat pile into his arms.

  
  


Donghyuck rolled his eyes, unfolding his legs and getting up. “It seems pretty obvious to me.”

  
  


Jaehyun quirked an eyebrow briefly before catching the look on Donghyuck’s face. He shot out an arm to stop him, but regrettably failed, Donghyuck neatly sidestepping him. Jaehyun cursed under his breath, abandoning his attempt to catch Donghyuck and instead quickly making his way towards the exit. He really didn’t want to be around for this.

  
  


“Hey,  _ Sahondra _ !”

  
  


One of the giggling girls spared a distracted look for Donghyuck. “Hm?”

  
  


Jaehyun was almost at the door, hand reaching out to grab the handle.

  
  


“Jaehyun wants to know why you guys like him.”

  
  


Damn Donghyuck. He had been so close to freedom. Jaehyun shot a glare over his shoulder at his younger friend. Donghyuck smiled and waggled his eyebrows impishly, knowing that Jaehyun wasn’t rude enough to pretend like he hadn’t heard his name. 

  
  


The girl named  _ Sahondra _ giggled, hiding her face behind her hands. “That’s obvious, silly. I mean… those soulful eyes…”

  
  


“Those muscular arms…” another girl joined.

  
  


“His luscious hair….” said a third.

  
  


“His kissable lips…” said a fourth, staring besottedly at something on Jaehyun’s face.

  
  


Jaehyun felt a shiver run through his body as he realized each person in the group of girls was staring at a different body part. None of them were looking at the same place. He watched, feeling incredibly awkward and uncomfortable as they ogled him. Then the fifth girl’s eyes drifted from where his shirt was clinging to his stomach to somewhere lower, and Jaehyun had had enough. He was leaving, rude or not. 

  
  


“Oh? Johnny?” Jaehyun pointed to the other exit. The girls whipped their necks so fast that Jaehyun didn’t know how they weren’t sprained. Thankfully, he had figured out early on that the girls liked Johnny even more than Jaehyun; Jaehyun supposed this was due to the fact that Johnny would actually talk to them and sometimes work out without his shirt on, baring his abs to all who could see.

  
  


Jaehyun yanked the door handle harshly, not waiting to see if Donghyuck was going to follow. Once he was out in the hall he began sprinting, knowing that the girls would search for him once they realized there was no Johnny to be found. He thundered down the metal hallways, only slowing once he reached the showers. As bold as they were, even the girls had enough respect to allow him privacy in the showers. 

  
  


One long, hot, steaming shower later, Jaehyun was feeling more relaxed, the tension having bled out of his shoulders with the hot water as it flowed over his skin. He exited the shower and dressed quickly, shivering as the cool air hit his heated skin. The worst part of showering, if anybody asked him, was stepping out of it. Jaehyun liked to take his time in the shower; there was something incredibly therapeutic about standing under a steady stream of hot water for twenty or thirty minutes. When he was younger, he used to take extra long showers whenever he was upset. His mom would gently tease him, calling him her little lobster because he would always emerge with flushed skin. 

  
  


At the thought of his mother, a gloom settled over Jaehyun. His feet automatically carried him down the long corridors as he spaced out.

  
  


_ They were heroes _ .

  
  


None of it made sense.

  
  


“Vegetable stew today,” a voice came from ahead, breaking Jaehyun out of his reverie.

  
  


“I’ll take vegetable stew over vegan stew,” Jaehyun replied, nose wrinkling in disgust as he remembered the odd stew they’d had just the other day. “I’m not even sure if that was supposed to be eaten.”

  
  


Donghyuck sniggered in agreement, falling in step with Jaehyun as they made their way through the mess hall to the buffet line. Workers wearing white jumpsuits and white face masks were standing on the other side of the long table, dishing out the appropriate sized servings to each person. Jaehyun and Donghyuck walked to the closer end of the line, where a female worker was making ticks on her clipboard. 

  
  


“Species?” She asked briskly once Jaehyun was standing in front of her.

  
  


“Red Ruffed.”

  
  


The worker nodded and checked something off on her board. “1 serving of stew, 3 servings of fruit, 1 handful of sunflower seeds, 1 scoop of rice or noodles, 1 roll.” 

  
  


Jaehyun nodded and grabbed a tray, moving towards the first station. Behind him, he heard the worker repeat her question to Donghyuck.

  
  


“Species?”

  
  


“Human.”

  
  


A brief silence passed, presumably as the worker gauged Donghyuck. “Human?”

  
  


“Yes, human, like the ones descended from monkeys.” Donghyuck sighed. “I’ve been here for ten days now, which makes this the,” he paused to calculate it, “twenty-ninth time I’ve had this conversation with you people. My species is human, yes  _ human _ , not lemurian. Now can I please get my food,” he bit out.

  
  


Jaehyun felt a twinge of sympathy for his friend. It wasn’t easy being the only human on the ship. You’d think the news would have spread quickly that there was a human on board.

  
  


The worker evidently overcame her shock and rattled off a list of servings appropriate for Donghyuck. Jaehyun could practically hear him glower at her as he sarcastically replied “Thanks.”

  
  


“Serving size?” the worker in front of Jaehyun asked.

  
  


“One,” he replied, dutifully holding his tray out to receive the steaming bowl of stew.

  
  


“You’d think the whole ship would have known by now,” grumbled Donghyuck behind him as he followed Jaehyun’s lead, holding out his tray to receive his portion. Jaehyun shook his head, just as bemused as Donghyuck as they made their way down the line. He accidentally made brief eye contact across the room with one of the girls that liked to follow him around, awkwardly smiling back in greeting when she enthusiastically waved.

  
  


“Maybe it’s better that they don’t yet,” Jaehyun muttered.

  
  


Donghyuck followed his gaze to the excited girl, snorting mirthlessly. “I’d trade you any time, just so I don’t have to explain myself again.”

  
  


Jaehyun sighed. “I would too.”

  
  


They found an empty table in the corner, claiming it as their own. They ate in silence, each one with their own metaphorical dark cloud hovering above their heads. 

  
  


They had almost finished their meal when something at the far end of the mess hall caught Jaehyun’s eye.

  
  


“Hyuck,” Jaehyun said quietly.

  
  


“Hm?” Donghyuck replied, raising the bowl of stew to his face to slurp down the remainders.

  
  


“Are you still mad at Mark?” Jaehyun asked.

  
  


Donghyuck slammed his bowl down, now empty. “You have to ask?” Donghyuck grumbled.

  
  


Jaehyun nodded. “Are you?” he inquired again.

  
  


Donghyuck sighed, leaning back in his seat as he contemplated the question. “Yes. No. Yes and no.”

  
  


Jaehyun raised an eyebrow in silent question. Donghyuck squirmed as he held Jaehyun’s gaze.

  
  


“Don’t look at me like that,” Donghyuck said defensively. “It’s complicated.”

  
  


“Well, you might want to figure it out soon,” said Jaehyun, “or it’s about to get uncomfortable in here.” He jerked his head towards the other end of the room, where Mark was standing with his tray, looking lost as he stared at Donghyuck. 

  
  


Donghyuck inhaled sharply as he made eye contact with Mark, quickly breaking it off. “What is he doing here.”

  
  


“Eating, probably,” Jaehyun snickered, knowing full well that Donghyuck had been tracking Mark’s meal times so that they didn’t overlap. Mark must have caught on.

  
  


Donghyuck jumped up and started gathering his stuff. “Well, what’re you waiting for? Let’s go, before it gets uncomfortable in here,” he mimicked Jaehyun’s words from before. 

  
  


Jaehyun dutifully got up and gathered his things onto his tray, matching pace with Donghyuck. As much as he found his younger friends' fight ridiculous, Jaehyun had his own reasons for wanting to avoid Mark. 

  
  


Donghyuck briskly walked over to the tray return, Jaehyun trailing not far behind. They deposited their trays quickly, exchanging pleasantries with the workers who took them. Fortunately, there was an exit nearby that they could duck out of. 

  
  


Unfortunately, Mark was standing in front of it.

  
  


“Hyuck.”

  
  


Jaehyun watched from a short distance as Donghyuck came to a stop, regarding Mark. Jaehyun couldn’t see Donghyuck’s face, but his expression must have been frightening because Mark subconsciously shrunk back a little.

  
  


“Hyuck,” he tried again. 

  
  


“What,” Donghyuck said coldly.

  
  


Mark flinched. “I… please talk to me. I can’t help if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”

  
  


“Nothing’s wrong. Everything’s fine. Peachy. Perfect.” 

  
  


“I don’t believe you.”

  
  


Jaehyun couldn’t see Donghyuck’s face, but he could see Mark’s, and right now it was filled with determination.

  
  


“You’ve been avoiding me for days, Hyuck.”

  
  


“No I haven’t.”

  
  


“You have,” Mark said firmly, reaching out for Donghyuck’s arm. Donghyuck flinched, stepping back from Mark. Mark’s face crumpled, resolve beginning to fade. He withdrew his outstretched hand. “I’m sorry.”

  
  


Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say, because the next thing Jaehyun knew, Donghyuck’s back stiffened and he was radiating icy waves that were a stark contrast to his normally sunny personality. 

  
  


“You’re sorry?” Donghyuck asked frigidly. “Sorry? For what? For bringing me here, dragging me into your mess? For putting me in danger?”

  
  


His voice grew with every word he flung at Mark, until half the mess hall was staring at them, engrossed in the drama that was unfolding before their eyes. Mark looked like a deer caught in the headlights, gaping at Donghyuck as he worked himself into a frenzy.

  
  


“Or are you sorry that I’m  _ human? _ A mere, scrawny little  _ human  _ that’s inferior to you lemurians. We were just your  _ experiment _ . Your race played God with us. Is that what you did to me too, Mark? Did you just sit there and pretend to laugh at all my jokes, secretly looking down on me from your lofty place in the world? Was I an  _ experiment _ to you? Is that why I’m stuck on this godforsaken boat where every time I eat, I have to convince someone that I am what I say I am? Is that why every time I tell someone I’m human, they look at me like I’m some fascinating science project that sprouted legs and a mouth?  _ Is that why you’re sorry? _ ”

  
  


Donghyuck spat the last words at Mark, chest heaving from the effort of yelling. Mark just stared back, speechless. 

  
  


Donghyuck snorted mirthlessly, shoving past Mark to the exit. “That’s what I thought.”

  
  


Jaehyun watched him disappear through the door, eyes going back to Mark, taking in the way his face was beginning to crumple in on itself, previous determination nowhere to be found, only misery. Jaehyun shook his head and stepped forward, shielding Mark from the prying eyes in the room.

  
  


“C’mon, Markie,” he murmured, using Mark’s nickname. “Let’s go.”

  
  


He gently grabbed him by the elbow and herded him out the door Donghyuck had just left from, leading Mark down the hall to somewhere more private. Once they had found a relatively secluded corner, Jaehyun let Mark go, stepping back. Mark stared at his feet, eyes not seeing. Jaehyun let him take his time, knowing that Mark would speak when he was ready. He stared out the porthole next to him, admiring the fiery glow the sun cast over the water as it set. He remembered another time where he had been admiring the view, only that time he had been looking over the smog-filled haze of LA, and he had been with someone else. 

  
  


Jaehyun wondered where she was right now: if she was looking at the sunset like he was, or if she was still slogging away at another shift. Had she wondered where he had gone? Did she even know he was gone? 

  
  


It was frustrating. 

  
  


One moment, she had been snuggled into his arms, her warm and tiny body a comforting weight on his chest; the next, he had been ripped away from the world he thought he had belonged in and told that everything he knew about his life was fake. He wasn’t human. His parents weren’t human. His closest friends weren’t human. 

  
  


And on top of that, there was a war to be fought.

  
  


They called them  _ tapaka _ , in the lemurian tongue. The Broken. Souls of their ancestors, trapped into rotting corpses and forced to do their master’s bidding. Corpses made readily available by the virus that had been released into the world. Souls brought back from the stage that happened after life. A loath union between an unwilling soul and an incapable body. 

  
  


Broken.

  
  


_ Tapaka. _

  
  


Jaehyun remembered feeling sick when he had learned of this information, horror rising in his throat. He couldn’t imagine being forced to bend to someone’s will, killing the ones you loved in the name of a leader you didn’t choose. A mere passenger in a decaying body, limbs stiff and unbending. Watching as you did things you had no control over, no way to protest.

  
  


It was cruel. Inhumane.

  
  


“I’m not sorry that Donghyuck is human,” Mark finally spoke, interrupting Jaehyun’s brooding, his eyes glassy. “And I’m not sorry that I brought him here.” Mark’s lips pressed together in defiance, lifting his chin up as if he expected Jaehyun to contradict him. 

  
  


Jaeyun nodded mildly. “Okay.”

  
  


Mark looked surprised in spite of himself. “That’s it?”

  
  


“Yep. This is your fight. You should tell Donghyuck, not me.”

  
  


Mark hesitated, clearly not expecting Jaehyun to be so calm. “What about you?”

  
  


“What about me?”

  
  


“Are you still.. I mean, you were… a few days ago you said…” Mark said nervously, as if regretting bringing the subject up. “Are you upset? With me.”

  
  


Jaehyun regarded Mark for a moment, considering it. Mark shifted his weight between his feet. He looked ready to bolt at a moment’s notice.

  
  


“I should be.”

  
  


Mark looked crestfallen before Jaehyun continued. 

  
  


“I was. But not anymore. I think Donghyuck is mad enough for both of us,” he chuckled, ruffling Mark’s hair.

  
  


Mark grimaced, batting Jaehyun’s hand away. “Yeah. He’s really mad.” He suddenly looked scared. “I’m worried he’ll never forgive me. And honestly, I’m not sure I deserve to be forgiven,” he said glumly. “Everything he said was true. I put him in danger, and I brought him here. He doesn’t belong here.”

  
  


“But you want him here.”

  
  


“Yeah. I do.”

  
  


“Then tell him.”

  
  


Mark hesitated. “Okay.” He turned to leave, before abruptly turning back. “Johnny misses you. He’s tried not to show it, but I can tell he’s really beating himself up over what happened. He thinks you hate him. I know you think he was wrong for not telling you the truth sooner, but he was under strict orders and all he ever wanted to do was protect you. Even if that meant not telling you the truth. Please give him a chance,” Mark pleaded, eyes wide and sincere.

  
  


Jaehyun just stared, taken aback by the sudden spiel. 

  
  


“If you could forgive me then you can forgive Johnny too, I know it. Just, please think about it,” Mark continued when it was clear that Jaehyun didn’t plan on responding. 

  
  


Jaehyun watched him turn away again, this time walking in the direction of the barracks. Just as Mark reached a corner, he turned around again.

  
  


“Thanks, hyung,” he said before he turned the corner, disappearing from sight. Jaehyun’s lips twitched in surprise. Mark rarely called him ‘hyung’, just like Jaehyun rarely called him ‘Markie’. It was a nod to their Korean roots, but more than that, a nod to the bond they had forged over the years as roommates and friends. 

  
  


Jaehyun pushed off from the wall he was previously leaning on, wandering down the corridor as he thought about Mark and Donghyuck. How their worlds were so different, yet their friendship was capable of transcending the boundaries separating them. They just had to find their balance. Lemurian and Human. Human and Lemurian.

Lemurian and Lemurian. 

  
  


_ He thinks you hate him. _

  
  


It was time he had a talk with Johnny. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm not much to say about this one. Of course, that might be because my braincells feel like they have been popping out of existence bc I've been staring at this screen for so long hahah. That's assuming I had more than one braincell to begin with though..
> 
> Who here is a Markhyuck pig? *raises both hands* I am not ashamed, I am not ashamed, I AM NOT ASHAMED, I swear..
> 
> Feel free to yell at me in the comments :)
> 
> What on Earth happened to Kaya? And will Jae and Johnny make up, or will things just spiral out of control once again?
> 
> Keep reading to find out!


	16. Phase 2

_ Dear Dad, _

_ I’ve been staring at this page for an hour now, trying to figure out what to say. What I would say if I could still talk to you. What I would say if you were here. I guess it doesn’t matter, because you’re not here. So I’ll just say everything. _

_ I hate you. _

_ How could you leave me here? How could you leave me without telling me the truth first? I’ve lived for 22 years not knowing who I really am. I feel like a fool. Like Mowgli from The Jungle Book. Tarzan from Tarzan. A cat that was raised to think she was a dog. _

_ I guess that’s not entirely your fault. You are the Human parent, after all. Maybe you had no idea who your wife really was. You probably had never heard of Lemuria in your life, just like me until 2 weeks ago. Did she lie to you too? Did she lead you on, tell you she was Human just like you?  _

_ Or did you lie to me just like she did? _

_ She misses you. I can see it in the way she looks at your photo every night. The way her eyes soften and she touches the photo, as if her fingertips can pass right through the film to your face. Sometimes, I wonder if she’ll move on. But then I see her Remember you. _

Tsaroana. _ Her Lemurian name. It means ‘remember’. Apparently, our Lemurian names are a reflection of who we are at our core. It makes sense now, the way her eyes seem to mist over when she tells me stories that she shouldn’t be able to remember herself. Stories that didn’t even happen during her lifetime. _

_ I don’t know my Name yet. I’m supposed to undergo the Ritual in two days. Nobody has told me much about it, only that you’re supposed to have it when you’re of age. I’m four years late, so I’ll be the oldest one to receive a Name. _

_ Just another thing that makes me different. _

_ Word spreads quickly around here. It only took two days for the whole ship to hear the rumor about a half Human, half Lemurian on board. Apparently Mom was quite famous for running off with a Human and never returning to the colony. I bet you’d smile and puff out your chest and make some stupid remark about how she couldn’t resist your Human wiles. _

_ I miss you. _

_ I miss going to the movies to watch some geeky film. I miss getting ice cream and going to the park to feed the ducks, and running away from the angry geese. I miss competing to see who can make the worst pun. I miss your hot chocolate. Mom tries, but it’s not the same, and we both know it. _

_ I miss being your daughter. _

_ I miss being normal. _

_ I miss being Human.  _

_ It’s stupid that I have to capitalize that word now.  _

_ Is it stupid to say that I miss Jaehyun? _

_ I only met him a little over a month ago, but for some reason it feels like I’ve known him for much longer than that. Months. Years. _

_ I think you’d like him.  _

_ I wonder if he’ll still be there when this is all over, wearing that ridiculous baby pink apron. Still working in the cafe with Taeyong, still making drinks with mystery ingredients that I’m certain aren’t on the menu.  _

_ In the end, I wasn’t able to keep my promise.  _

_ I hope he’s okay. _

_ My one small comfort in all of this is that the  _ tapaka _ only attack Lemurians. Sophie said it’s because of our scents. Apparently Lemurians smell different. Once you’re Named, the scent multiplies tenfold. Usually you’re Named when you turn 18 because that’s when your scent matures. It’s different in my case, though. Because I’m half Human. That’s what Mom meant when she first told me I was half Lemurian. My scent didn’t mature at 18, so she thought the Lemurian blood wouldn’t affect me, and I could live my life as a Human.  _

_ But then suddenly it did.  _

_ Sophie was assigned to watch over me to see if any Lemurian traits would emerge once I turned 18. Looking back on it, everything makes sense now, like pieces fitting into a puzzle. I met her in college. My birthday is in late September, so I didn’t turn 18 until school had started already. And ever since then, she’s been by my side. Hell, she even worked at Forever 21 with me. She was always there. Always watching. _

_ According to her, my Lemurian traits didn’t start emerging until I started working there. At first it was minor things, like my sudden interest in herbal teas, and my increasingly terrible sleep schedule. Then the incident with the black car happened. Sophie said that was the point when she realized my blood might be coming to fruition.  _ Tapaka _ can be even more sensitive to the scent than we are. Sophie said my scent really strengthened the day we had to run away. That’s why she said I smelled weird that morning. She could smell the change in my blood. I think that’s also why the  _ tapaka _ attacked that day. They must have only been scouting the first time. I got lucky. _

_ I don’t feel very lucky. _

_ I have to go. It’s lunch time, and I have training after. We’re supposed to undergo rigorous training for the entire month up until the ceremony, and I’m behind by two weeks. I hope the ceremony isn’t a test of strength or something. I definitely won’t survive that. _

_ Wish me luck. _

_ -Kaya _

  
  


Kaya signed the letter and read it once before she closed the notebook with a quiet thump. She looked at the analog clock hanging on the wall and groaned, pushing her chair back from the desk and stretching as she stood up. She fingered the edge of the grey hoodie she was wearing with a contemplative look before shaking her head and shrugging it off in favor of a pair of leggings and a loose shirt. She grabbed her water bottle and left the room in a hurry, patting Jack on the head as she left. 

  
  


She closed the door carefully behind her, mindful not to let Jack slip out by accident. He had already caused a stir last week after Kaya’s mom had left the door open a second too long, gallivanting through the hallways and generally causing mass terror. Lemurians, it turned out, were not the hugest fans of cats. Sophie had laughed when Kaya told her how their neighbors had shrieked in terror upon seeing Jack sauntering towards them, tail head high. 

  
  


_ It’s because cats are natural predators of lemurs, _ she had said amusedly.  _ I personally think they’re adorable. But a lot of Lemurians find them terrifying and would rather keep their distance, even though it’s not like cats will hunt us any more than they hunt Humans. It’s a vestigial trait from our lemur ancestors, I suppose. _

  
  


Kaya made her way through the winding corridors to the galley, lightly swinging the bottle as she continued her musings, having memorized the path days ago.

  
  


A vestigial trait. Something that has no immediate function or purpose in one species, but is vital in another closely related species. Lemurians didn’t need to be scared of cats, but lemurs did. Kaya must not have inherited that particular trait. Neither had Sophie, judging by the way she was constantly trying to hold Jack’s paws and cooing over him like he was a baby.

  
  


Kaya made a turn into a wide hallway, twice the size of the narrow corridors she had been navigating. A bustle of voices and dishes clanking against each other reached her ears, loud and jarring. She passed over the threshold, eyes firmly on the long table full of food, workers dishing out portions for each Lemurian in front of them. 

  
  


“Species?” the worker asked her, features hidden by a white mask, voice clipped. His eyes bored into Kaya’s from behind the mask, sharp and focused.

  
  


Kaya ignored the flash of discomfort that passed through her and held the worker’s gaze steadily as she replied, “Sibree's Dwarf.”

  
  


The worker quickly flipped through the pages on his board, making a few ticks here and there. “4 servings fruit, 1 serving soup, 1 roll, honeysuckle tea.”

  
  


Kaya nodded, taking a tray and setting her water bottle on top. “Thanks.”

  
  


The worker merely watched her as she queued for the soup station, looking away when the next Lemurian stepped forward. Kaya looked around the crowded mess hall when she was done getting all her food, craning her neck in hopes of finding a table in a relatively secluded corner. As it would have it, luck was not on her side, because today there were no open tables. Kaya eyed the occupants of a nearby table, deciding against it when one of the Lemurians sitting there nudged her companion with an elbow, nodding in Kaya’s direction. The other Lemurian turned to give Kaya a stare that wasn’t exactly unfriendly, yet still made it perfectly clear that Kaya was not going to be sitting at that table. She sighed and wandered through the rows, praying someone would finish eating soon and leave their table vacant.

  
  


“Kaya! Come join me, dear!” Kaya heard a voice call out from behind her. She turned to see  _ Tsiky _ smiling widely at her, eyes crinkling. Kaya felt a sudden rush of gratitude for the woman as she hurried over to her table, taking the seat  _ Tsiky _ gestured to. 

  
  


“Thanks,  _ Tsiky _ ,” she smiled gratefully at the older woman. 

  
  


_ Tsiky  _ waved her off with a gracious smile. “Nothing to thank me for. And call me Iz. My Common Name is Isabella,”  _ Tsiky _ added when Kaya looked confused. “But I prefer Iz. Much simpler, don’t you think?”

  
  


Kaya, who had already stuffed her mouth full of mango, could only nod in response, though she didn’t see much of a difference between ‘ _ Tsiky’ _ and ‘Iz’. But preferences were preferences, and who was she to mess with them?

  
  


Iz chuckled knowingly as Kaya crammed her food in her mouth. “Do you have training after this?”

  
  


Kaya swallowed hastily. “Yeah. Today we’re supposed to do balance and cardio. I can balance fine, but cardio will probably kick my-” she stopped herself, mindful of her company. “Butt. Kick my butt.”

  
  


Iz laughed. “Cardio sure is an ass-kicker,” she winked. “I’ll leave you to it, then. Have fun, kiddo.” 

  
  


Iz ruffled Kaya’s hair as she got up, having finished her own meal shortly after calling Kaya over to join her. Kaya smiled with her eyes and cheerily waved her goodbye, returning her focus to her meal and shoveling food down her throat with even more gusto now that she was alone. 

  
  


As such, Kaya finished her entire meal within ten minutes, quickly depositing her tray on the return counter before pushing through the doors nearby, water bottle in hand. 

  
  


She lightly jogged through the winding hallways of the ship, dodging Lemurians here and there until she saw the rather nondescript door that led to the training room. Panting, she stopped, just staring at the door in front of her. 

  
  


"Should I be worried?" An amused voice asked. "You seem to have picked up a habit of staring at doors ever since we arrived."

  
  


"Yeah, I was thinking that they're quite attractive," Kaya snarked back. "Those gleaming, hunky metal doors.. What secrets they must hold.." she sighed dreamily.

  
  


Sophie snorted and pulled the door open. "After you, Miss Lee."

  
  


Kaya saluted Sophie with a cheeky grin that quickly faded as she entered the training room, remembering why she was here. Five pairs of eyes locked onto her almost immediately, all movement halting. Kaya stood tall even as she felt the weight of those eyes settle on her being. Sophie entered behind her, shutting the door with a quiet click.

  
  


"How nice of you to join us, Miss Lee," a frosty voice greeted. 

  
  


A woman in a jumpsuit the same dark red color as Iz's addressed Kaya from the side, where she had been supervising the other Lemurians. Kaya simply returned her cold gaze evenly, not budging from her position.

  
  


The woman tilted her head. “Are you perhaps waiting for an invitation, Miss Lee?”

  
  


At the pointed remark, Kaya’s feet unstuck from the floor and she walked over to join the small group of Lemurians, Sophie trailing after her. The woman’s sharp gaze fell on Sophie as she, too, joined them. 

  
  


“ _ Tiana _ .”

  
  


Sophie nodded cordially. “ _ Adolfia _ .”

  
  


“I assume there’s a good reason for your presence in my training room?”

  
  


Sophie’s back straightened minutely. “I was ordered to observe and assist you for this session.”

  
  


If  _ Adolfia _ was surprised, she didn’t show it, remaining as stony-faced as ever. “I’ll allow it,” she said coldly before turning her attention to the trainees. “Now that we are all accounted for, I will explain today’s training. As you are all aware, the Naming Ritual is two days.” 

  
  


The trainees nodded in affirmation.

  
  


“The training you have done so far has been purely physical; your endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility have been pushed to the limit. That was Phase 1. Now we begin Phase 2 of your training.”

  
  


A collective gasp rose from the trainees, including Kaya. She hadn’t heard that there were supposed to be  _ two  _ phases. She shot a glance at Sophie, who sheepishly shrugged. She had forgotten to mention it to Kaya.

  
  


“We have pushed your bodies to their limits. All that is left is to push your mind to its limit. Phase 2 will purely be mental training. This is to prepare your mind for the abrupt transition you will be forced to undergo at the Naming Ritual. It is undoubtedly the most grueling and dangerous training you will have to endure.”

  
  


_ Adolfia _ let her words sink in for a few moments before speaking again. “Are there any questions?”

  
  


A boy who Kaya thought might be named Dave raised his hand. “How come this Phase is only two days long? Is that really enough time to prepare us for the ritual?”

  
  


“Any longer, and you will risk fracturing your minds. Any shorter, and you will risk being unprepared.”

  
  


Another girl, named Lily, spoke up. “What kind of transition will we be facing at the Naming Ritual? I heard our brains will be put in other bodies,” she supplied nervously.

  
  


Next to her, Kaya heard Sophie stifle a giggle, masking it as a light cough. The other trainees shifted uncomfortably as  _ Adolfia _ arched an eyebrow.

  
  


“I suggest you get your facts checked, Miss Sato.”

  
  


Lily flushed a bright red and looked down at her feet.  _ Adolfia _ waited a few beats until it was evident that there would be no more questions asked.

  
  


“Let us begin.” She pointed towards the giant red circle in the middle of the otherwise empty room. “Take a seat around the circle. Spread out evenly.”

  
  


The trainees obediently took a seat around the circle, Sophie and  _ Adolfia _ keeping a measured distance.  _ Adolfia _ went around the circle, correcting each trainee’s posture until it was to her liking. Kaya sat up straight, shoulders back, chin held neither low nor high. It must have been to  _ Adolfia’s _ satisfaction, because she merely passed by Kaya on her way around the circle. 

  
  


_ Adolfia _ spoke again, still moving around the circle, voice taking on a slow, soothing quality that Kaya wouldn’t have thought possible from the austere woman. The lights in the room dimmed until Kaya could barely make out the figures of her fellow trainees around the circle. 

  
  


“I want you to close your eyes and focus on the sound of my voice. Count to ten as you take a deep breath in through your nose… Now let it out slowly as you count to ten again, focusing on the place where your body connects with the ground. Now take another deep breath as you empty your mind of everything but your breathing. In… Out… In… Out… Just like that… In… and out...”

  
  


Kaya let her worries and unnecessary thoughts slip away from her as she listened to  _ Adolfia _ , breathing deeply and evenly, body relaxing unconsciously. 

  
  


In.. Out.. 

  
  


She could almost pretend she was alone in her room, listening to the radio with her eyes closed. 

  
  


In.. Out..

  
  


_ Very good, _ the radio said.  _ Let your body relax as I tell you about the next phase.. _

  
  


Kaya was floating, body weightless and mind pleasantly fuzzy as she listened to the radio.

  
  


_ To make the transition, you will need full control over your most primal instincts, _ the radio whispered. _ Fear. Aggression. Lust. _

  
  


In.. Out..

  
  


_ On the count of three, you will open your eyes. _

  
  


In..

  
  


_ Remember control. _

  
  


Out..

  
  


_ One… _

  
  


Distantly, Kaya heard the sound of a door opening. She barely registered it as she took a deep breath in.

  
  


_ Two… _

  
  


The radio crackled softly; Kaya exhaled.

  
  


_ Three. _

  
  


Kaya opened her eyes slowly, still maintaining her breathing. A flickering light hovered in front of her, similar lights hanging in front of the other trainees. She stared at it, mesmerized as it danced in the air. As her eyes adjusted, she realized that the light was actually a candle, and someone was holding it. She squinted, hand coming up to try and block the light of the candle so she could see the person’s face. The candle dipped lower, exposing their features.

  
  


It was Jaehyun.

  
  


The air whooshed out of Kaya in one fell swoop, rhythm abandoned. She reached out with trembling fingers to touch Jaehyun’s face, checking that this wasn’t a dream. Jaehyun smiled gently and held still as she poked his cheek. Kaya jerked back when her finger was met with resistance, instead of passing through as she half expected it to. She stared at Jaehyun with wide eyes.

  
  


“You’re real,” she whispered. “Is this real?”

  
  


Jaehyun laughed softly. “It’s real.” He set the candle on the floor, hesitating briefly before holding his arms open, looking at her with an expression she didn’t recognize. Even in the low lighting, Kaya could see the way his ears were tinged pink. 

  
  


Adorable.

  
  


Kaya uncrossed her legs quickly, getting on her knees, shuffling towards Jaehyun and his pink ears with every intention of curling up in his arms for the next two hours. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another trainee do the same, advancing towards the thick red line of the circle to embrace their loved one.

  
  


Something niggled in the back of Kaya’s mind, struggling to make its way to the front of her mind. Kaya paused, watching as the distance between trainee and line diminished until the trainee was just about to cross the line, his candlelit companion beckoning him closer. 

  
  


_ Remember control _ .

  
  


“Stop! _ ” _ Kaya cried, hand stretching out just as the trainee crossed the line with his knee. 

  
  


He startled, ripping his eyes away from the figure in front of him at Kaya’s shout: but it was too late. Kaya could only watch in horror as the figure in front of the trainee changed, skin melting and hair receding rapidly into its skull, bones popping and cracking gruesomely until a  _ tapaka _ stood in front of the boy, lips blue, rotting fingers reaching for him menacingly. The trainee fell on his butt, scrambling to push himself away from the  _ tapaka _ , inadvertently crossing back over the line.

  
  


Suddenly the lights came on, flooding the room with bright, white light. Kaya threw up her hands automatically, eyes watering from the surprise attack on her retinas. Shouts of confusion filled the room. When Kaya had adjusted to the light, she brought her arms down from her face, only to find that Jaehyun had disappeared, as had the other trainees’ companions, including the  _ tapaka _ .

  
  


“What the fuck just happened,” the male trainee demanded, staring at  _ Adolfia _ who was standing on the other side of the circle, face smooth and impassive.

  
  


_ Adolfia _ gave him an unimpressed look. “You were supposed to remember control. You failed. All of you,” she extended to the rest of the circle. “Now, we must start over.” She made a motion to dim the lights.

  
  


“Wait,” Kaya interrupted. 

  
  


_ Adolfia _ paused, looking at her cooly. “Miss Lee?”

  
  


“Was any of that.. Real? The people, the..” she took a breath. “The  _ tapaka _ . I know we all saw it. Was it real?” She doubted the Lemurians would let one of the Broken onto the ship, and she was sure that they couldn’t shapeshift. But she had to make sure. Had to know if any of it was real.

  
  


“That’s not important.”

  
  


“Not important? We could have  _ died. _ ” 

  
  


_ Adolfia _ regarded her as if that was an amusing notion, the corner of her lip raising slightly. “Yes. You could have.”

  
  


A tremor ran through the circle as the weight of  _ Adolfia’s _ words hung over the trainees, the heavy reality of the situation sinking in. Kaya exchanged uneasy glances with her neighbors. Nobody had expected this. They were just supposed to be getting ready for the Naming Ritual, not fighting for their survival. 

  
  


“As I said earlier, Phase 2 is about controlling your most primal instincts. Fear. Aggression. Lust. If you fall prey to your own instincts, you will be consumed at the Ritual. This training is your best chance at having a successful Ritual. However,”  _ Adolfia _ continued, “It is also highly dangerous. Fail to keep your urges in check, and you may not leave this room alive, let alone the Naming Ritual.” Her frigid brown eyes swept across the room, landing on Kaya. “Am I understood?”

  
  


Kaya’s lips pressed into a thin line but she nodded jerkily all the same and sat down stiffly, swallowing her indignation. This was about controlling your instincts, but it was also about keeping her emotions in check. She needed to be logical, not emotional.

  
  


_ Remember control. _

  
  


_ Adolfia _ made a gesture, and the lights dimmed. Kaya drew in a deep breath and straightened her spine, allowing  _ Adolfia’s _ voice to wash over her. 

  
  


“I want you to close your eyes…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk if you noticed, but I didn't write a summary for this chapter... I decided that I suck at summaries and will do my utmost to avoid writing one if I can. Sorry if you were looking for one :| (Although I highly suspect that nobody was.) 
> 
> I also decided that I'll be posting TMI facts in the endnotes after every chapter for details that I probably won't be able to address in the story itself. :)
> 
> \----
> 
> TMI:  
> Kaya used to have a radio in her room, back before smartphones became so advanced. One of her favorite childhood memories is sitting on the floor in her room with her eyes closed, leaning against her bed, just listening to the radio. She never really kicked the habit, although she did switch to using her phone instead of an actual radio.
> 
> 'Tiana' means 'one that is liked.'
> 
> Lily is Japanese-American.
> 
> \----
> 
> Now, the big question: was Jaehyun really there?
> 
> Keep reading to find out!


	17. Rite of Ascension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaya attends the Naming Ritual.

Kaya felt like she was going to be sick. Sweat threatened to bead her forehead as she paced in her room, chewing on her lip nervously. Sophie was supposed to be here any minute. Jack watched her lazily as she anxiously walked around the tiny room, tail trailing off the edge of Kaya’s bed, twitching every so often. 

  
  


It was the day of the Naming Ritual.

  
  


For the past two days, Kaya had gone through mental hell; _Adolfia_ hadn’t been exaggerating when she had said that Phase 2 would be excruciating. There were some moments during training when Kaya had truly believed she was going insane and wouldn’t leave the room alive. She couldn’t count the number of times she had been faced with Jaehyun, with visions of her dad, with _tapaka_ , with every nightmare she’d ever had. Her control had been pushed to its limit with every round of training she had endured. It had been harsh on her in ways she couldn’t have imagined. But somehow, she had survived.

  
  


All that was left was to survive tonight. If she could just survive the Ritual, she would emerge a full-fledged Lemurian. She wouldn’t have to constantly prove herself to anybody else. Nobody would be able to make her feel like she was lesser, because she wouldn’t _be_ lesser. She would be Named. She would ascend. She would become something more. Someone more.

  
  


A series of knocks rattled the door. Kaya spun around at the noise and strode to the door, pulling it open. Sophie took in her nervous appearance, the way Kaya’s eyes were ablaze with anxiety and anticipation.

  
  


“Ready?”

  
  


“For the last thirty minutes.”

  
  


Sophie smiled and stepped aside to let Kaya pass by. “Classic Kaya. Whenever you had an exam you would do the same thing.”

  
  


Kaya snorted. “Yeah, but back then I was only fighting to get my degree. This time..” she trailed off, turning a distinct shade of green.

  
  


Sophie recoiled slightly before awkwardly reaching out to gingerly pat Kaya on the back. “Don’t throw up on me. Breathe.”

  
  


Kaya practiced the breathing exercises that _Adolfia_ had taught them. After a couple moments she recovered and they resumed their walk to the Chamber. While they walked, Sophie chatted to her about trivial pieces of gossip she’d heard around the ship, momentarily distracting Kaya from her impending sense of doom. 

  
  


It seemed like they had barely started walking when all of a sudden they were there, they were in front of the large brass door that led to the Chamber. Sophie didn’t bother to ask Kaya if she was ready this time. Nobody was ever truly ready to be Named; Sophie knew this well from her own experience and from watching countless Lemurians undergo the Ritual. So instead of determining the obvious, she yanked the door open unceremoniously and gestured for Kaya to enter.

  
  


“After you.”

  
  


Kaya entered the room, gasping as she did so. She had assumed the Chamber would be a large, grand room, full of gilded surfaces and mostly empty, like the training room was. Instead, the room was less of a _room_ , and more like.. 

  
  


“It’s a forest,” she murmured, realization striking like a bolt of lightning. “We’re in a fucking _forest_ . On a boat. In the middle of the ocean. A _forest_ ,” she breathed, grin taking over her features. 

  
  


She turned around slowly, wondering at the scene. The only sign that they were still on the ship was the door that Sophie was closing behind her. Only that disappeared too, melting into the surrounding shrubbery. Kaya stared as the door vanished, eyes wide and mouth slack. Where the door had been was now a dense patch of tall grass.

  
  


“Huh,” she said rather stupidly. “The door became grass. Is that supposed to happen?”

  
  


Sophie laughed and prodded her with a finger. “Come on. We have a Ritual to attend.”

  
  


At the mention of the dreaded Ritual, Kaya’s spirits slightly dampened. She had forgotten why she was here in her awe over the strange locale. Instantly, the forest seemed much more sinister, tall trees looming over them, blocking out the overhead light. Kaya squared her shoulders.

  
  


“Right. Lead the way.”

  
  


Sophie took the lead, Kaya following close behind, not eager to get lost in the strange forest. They picked their way over overgrown tree roots, dodged low hanging branches, and skirted the shrubbery. As they were walking, Kaya couldn’t help but notice that the forest was oddly silent. The only sound was that of the wind breezing through the trees, causing leaves to shake and rustle against each other, making a dry rattling noise. 

  
  


That, too, was odd; despite appearances, Kaya knew they were in an enclosed room, where no wind should be able to reach them. At least, she thought so. Now she wasn’t so sure.

  
  


Sophie suddenly stopped, holding a hand out towards Kaya as she raised her head to the air and sniffed, bearing an uncanny resemblance to a dog as she did so. She pointed to a patch of particularly dense foliage on their left. 

  
  


“Just past there, I think.”

  
  


They pushed their way through the greenery and exited into a large meadow, full of tall grass much like the kind that had covered the door on the way in. In the center of the meadow was a small but colorful group of Lemurians, several of which Kaya recognized: two of the other trainees who were decked in the same grey jumpsuit Kaya was wearing, _Adolfia_ who was wearing her usual dark red, Kaya’s mother in midnight blue along with two other Lemurians Kaya recognized as the other trainee’s guardians who were dressed in jumpsuits of yellow and brown respectively, and a couple of Lemurians Kaya had never seen before. 

  
  


Kaya squinted to catch a better glimpse of the unfamiliar Lemurians as they picked their way through the tall grass, noting the way that they seemed to be the center of the gathering, the other Lemurians gathered around them as if they were planets orbiting the sun.

  
  


Two beautiful women wearing shimmery silver cloaks flanked either side of the beautiful woman in the center of the gathering; she was wearing a gown that sparkled when she moved, a pale silky gold that flowed elegantly to the ground, catching the light as the fabric shifted. She had short, cropped reddish brown curls, a delicately pointed nose, and stormy blue eyes that were visible even from a distance.

  
  


As Kaya and Sophie made their way closer, one of the silver women leaned forward to say something to the woman in front of her. Kaya blanched, having caught a glimpse of the thin circlet that rested on top of the woman’s auburn curls, glinting as she turned her head to watch the pair approach the group.

  
  


“ _Ny vadiko_ ,” Sophie said, dipping into a deep bow. Kaya looked around, unclear on the protocol when greeting the Queen. _The Queen._ For god’s sake. Her mother caught her eye and gave her a threatening look, jerking her head at Sophie. Kaya hastily copied Sophie’s bow.

  
  


“Well met, _ny zanako_ ,” the Queen spoke in a melodious, yet clear voice. “We await one more _anonyme_.” 

  
  


Kaya and Sophie rose from their deep bows and joined the ranks of the circle next to Lily who greeted them with a smile. The Queen and her silver ladies-in-waiting turned their attention back to some point across the meadow, where Kaya assumed the last trainee would make their entrance from.

  
  


“You didn’t tell me the honest to god _Queen_ would be here,” Kaya hissed to Sophie.

  
  


Sophie shrugged. “Thought it would make you more nervous. You almost threw up without even knowing she would be here, would you really have wanted me to tell you that she would be overseeing the Ritual?”

  
  


She had a point. 

  
  


Still, Kaya continued. “I thought she was on a different ship? Did she come just for the Naming Ritual?”

  
  


Sophie snorted. “Not likely. She had other business to attend to. That’s all I know. Anyways, I have to go join the other Indri, but good luck.” She patted Kaya on the head affectionately. “Remember your training and you’ll be okay. You can do it.” 

  
  


She shot a rare, sincere smile at Kaya before she left to disappear through the bushes behind them. Kaya watched her go, simultaneously wishing she could fast forward through the next couple hours and stop time.

  
  


“Helpful…” she muttered. 

  
  


“I heard the Queen said she wanted to observe our Naming herself,” whispered Lily from next to Kaya, eyes wide as an owl’s. “My Companion said he overheard some of the Reds complaining about the transfer. Said that they’d rather be stuck on a deserted island than a Wild Class.” She scoffed. “So dramatic, they are.”

  
  


Kaya shook her head. “But why would she want to watch us?”

  
  


“You remember the guy who kept summoning the _tapaka_ during training?” Lily replied.

  
  


Kaya nodded curiously. “Luca?”

  
  


“Well, apparently, he’s descended from a long line of Reds from Madagascar. They think he might have the Gift.” The way she said ‘gift’ was like it had a special meaning to it that Kaya was supposed to understand. Except she didn’t.

  
  


“Gift? He has some kind of gift for the Queen?” 

  
  


“No, silly, as in _the_ Gift, the one that only Reds have.” Lily dropped her voice lower, making sure nobody was listening. “Shapeshifting.”

  
  


“ _What?_ ”

  
  


Lily nodded excitedly, looking much like an eager puppy. “Yuuto said that’s why Luca’s training doll kept shifting into a _tapaka_ during training. Plus, his parents are Reds from Madagascar so it would make sense.” She squealed. “Wouldn’t it be so cool if he could _shapeshift_?”

  
  


Kaya nodded absentmindedly, frowning. “How come only the Reds get it?”

  
  


Before Lily could answer Kaya’s question, a stir arose from the other Lemurians. The foliage on the other side of the clearing rustled and parted to reveal Luca with his Indri Companion, an icy young woman dressed in a yellow jumpsuit that harshly contrasted her aura. When they arrived where the Queen and her companions stood, they fell into the same deep bow that Sophie and Kaya had made earlier. 

  
  


Their voices rang in unison. “ _Ny vadiko_.”

  
  


The Queen gazed down at them with an indiscernible expression. “Well met, Mireille and Luca,” using their names rather than the Malagasy term she had used earlier. 

  
  


Mireille and Luca rose from their bows, Luca walking over to join the trainees and Mireille melting into the shrubbery Sophie had vanished through. Kaya couldn’t help but stare at Luca as he took his place next to her, trying to find some sign of the ‘Gift’ Lily had talked about. He looked normal to her. Attractive, but disappointingly normal. She tore her eyes away from his face as one of the Queen’s attendants began speaking.

  
  


“ _Nihaona tsara_. Welcome to the Rite of Ascension. All those who are Unnamed, step forward.”

  
  


The trainees stepped forward, forming a semicircle in front of the trio of women. This time, the second woman dressed in silver spoke, voice cool and musical.

  
  


“You have been training for the past month to overcome your limits, both physical and mental. All that is left is to Ascend. I am Lyra, Named _Miangaly_ ,” she said, introducing herself.

  
  


“And I am Aria, Named _Dihy_ ,” continued the first woman, speaking in tandem with Lyra. “The Ascension will not be easy.”

  
  


“But you have trained. You are ready.”

  
  


“You will Ascend,” they spoke in unison. 

  
  


“You will find your Name,” said Lyra.

  
  


“You will discover your true self,” said Aria.

  
  


“But first, you must surpass your limits.”

  
  


They took out two glass jars full of transparent capsules from under their cloaks. 

  
  


“Step forward and receive,” they spoke.

  
  


The trainees stepped forward in turn to receive a capsule from either Lyra or Aria. When it was her turn, Kaya took the capsule from Aria and returned to her spot quickly, being careful not to accidentally drop it. The capsule was completely clear. If Kaya hadn’t known any better, she would think that there was nothing in it.

  
  


Once each trainee had received a capsule, Lyra and Aria spoke again, stowing the jars beneath their cloaks.

  
  


“You have received,” they uttered. “Now you will listen.”

  
  


Kaya directed her attention to the Queen, who hadn’t spoken during the entire exchange between her attendants and the trainees. Her stormy blue eyes swept across the semicircle, landing on each trainee as she spoke.

  
  


“The capsule you have in your hands will give you the ability to surpass your limits. If all goes well, you will be able to assume your Lemurian form. It will be uncomfortable; it will hurt if you aren’t physically prepared, and will drive you mad if you aren’t mentally prepared. It will be like nothing you have ever experienced,” she said gravely. “Once you have consumed the capsule, you will be led to five different locations in the Chamber. After a few minutes, you will transform. Once you have claimed your Name, you will return to this meadow.”

  
  


A sense of unease wormed its way into Kaya’s chest. Leave, transform, Name, then return. It sounded too easy. And how were they supposed to know their Names? She had thought they would receive their Names, not have to find them of their own accord.

  
  


As if sensing the confusion from the trainees, the Queen continued speaking. “Your Name is somewhere in this Chamber. You will know it when you see it.”

  
  


This only intensified Kaya’s confusion, but it seemed to be enough explanation for the other trainees, Lily nodding eagerly next to her. The Queen smiled, apparently finished. Behind the trainees, the bushes rustled as their Companions reappeared from the shadows.

  
  


“Companions, you may take the _anonyme_ to their places. As instructed.”

  
  


Instead of walking over to Kaya, Sophie stepped in front of Lily. “Come with me, Lily Sato. Don’t drop your pill,” she cautioned, leading Lily in a seemingly random direction. 

  
  


“With me, Kaya Lee,” Mireille said, stepping forward. “Don’t drop that,” she similarly warned Kaya, turning and striding off without checking to see if she was following. 

  
  


Kaya raised an eyebrow but followed without comment. So the Companions wouldn’t be staying with their designated Lemurian, then. She wondered what the point was. So that they wouldn’t ask questions? So that they wouldn’t get distracted? That hadn’t worked, then, because she was distracted trying to think of an explanation for the logic behind separating the trainees from their familiar guardians.

  
  


She studied Mireille from behind as they walked. Mireille was tall and lean, but toned, as all the Indri were. Her long, braided locks swept her back as she gracefully sidestepped vines and wayward branches, never slowing. She didn’t speak until they arrived at their apparent destination- a fast-flowing river, clear enough that Kaya could see the flat rocks lining the bottom.

  
  


“We’re here. Take it,” Mireille addressed Kaya, straight to the point.

  
  


Kaya opened her hand, holding the capsule up to her eyes. She peered at it distrustfully, wondering what was in it that would cause a transformation. It looked suspiciously unassuming, distorting the light that passed through it so that the refracted beams hit the pebbly ground in multicolored fragments. 

  
  


Mireille shifted slightly, bringing Kaya back to the present. She swiftly set the pill on her tongue and swallowed it, tossing her head back. As she did so, she realized that she could see the ceiling for the first time, no trees to block her line of sight. 

  
  


Kaya stared, mouth slightly agape. She knew they had to be on the ship, so she had thought they would’ve been indoors. But clearly they weren’t, because there was no ceiling. Only a pale blue sky, fluffy white clouds, and the blinding sun. As she watched, the clouds drifted past the sun, creating a brief shadow. 

  
  


“I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto,” she whispered. In her normal voice she asked, “Hey, are we-?”

  
  


She looked down to address Mireille, only to discover that she had disappeared when Kaya hadn’t been looking. 

  
  


“She’s like a ghost, that woman,” Kaya muttered. “What am I supposed to do now?

  
  


She looked around. The river stretched on as far as she could see in each direction, splitting the forest into two halves around it. The half on the far side seemed more densely packed with life than the side Kaya was on; on the far half, trees grew so close together the roots seemed impossibly entangled, and the ground was speckled with various types of moss and grass with wild mushrooms littered here and there. 

  
  


Not too far away, Kaya spotted a set of seven stepping stones she could use to cross to the other side. It’s not like the river was too deep to simply wade across, but Kaya didn’t particularly wish to traipse around in wet socks, and the current seemed a bit quicker than she was comfortable with. She started towards the rocks as the wind abruptly picked up and whipped her hair across her face. She raised her arms in effort to prevent her long hair from at least covering her eyes, tripping over a rock in her momentary lapse of attention. 

  
  


She awkwardly fell onto her right knee, hands instinctively coming out to keep the rest of her body from following. She sucked in a breath as she felt the skin on her left hand tear, fresh blood welling up from the scrape. Applying pressure to the wound, she got back up to her feet and turned the other way so that the wind was blowing her hair away from her so she could actually see. Kaya carefully uncovered her injured hand and examined the scrape with a slight frown. It didn’t look too bad; the cut was shallow and didn’t look like it would scar. She would like to disinfect it, but she hadn’t brought anything with her.

  
  


She eyed the stream. It looked clean enough, but she was loath to stick her hand in unknown sources of water that could be harboring parasites. She decided against it and instead carefully wiped her hand on the inside of her jumpsuit, hoping that would do until later when she was able to treat it properly. 

  
  


She ignored the dull throb of pain and set her attention back on the stepping stones upstream. She held her hair back with her uninjured hand, ruing her lack of hair ties. Reaching the stones, she carefully made her way across the river to the distant side, eyes down to watch her step. 

  
  


Something floated by as she was stepping from the third stone to the fourth, too quickly for Kaya to discern what it was before it floated away. Soon, another object zoomed by, and another, until Kaya finally paused her efforts and looked upstream to try and catch sight of the mysterious objects: leaning down, she caught one as it floated by.

  
  


It was a water lily, slimy to the touch. Kaya recoiled and dropped it back in the coursing water, letting it get carried away by the current. She looked back upstream, where it had come from. The previously crowded river was completely clear, no sign that there had just been countless water lilies riding the current.

  
  


Weird.

  
  


Kaya continued on her way, hopping precisely from stone to stone. She noted that where the bank had been full of smooth pebbles on the other side, this bank was muddy and much more moist. Even the wind had died down a bit, and Kaya was able to relax her hands from around her head, where she had been holding her hair away from her face. 

  
  


She wandered around, not keen on straying too far from the stream. After a while, though, she grew bored and ventured a bit further into the forest. _A watched pot never boils_ , she reminded herself. The change would happen whether or not she waited for it. Exploring the woods seemed much more appealing than sitting around and twiddling her thumbs. 

  
  


The woods seemed to have a life of its own. There were many strange things that seemed out of place: she came across a patch of the most luscious green grass she had laid eyes on, a clump of yellow tulips that radiated an odd warmth, a single weeping willow that stretched its slender branches towards Kaya as she ambled by, and a strangely shaped tree that seemed to whistle as the slight breeze passed through its hollow trunk.

  
  


Kaya had been exploring for around an hour or two when she heard it: a scuffle, behind her. She whipped her head around, nostrils flaring as she scented the air, eyes scouring the dense brush. Something moved, causing the bushes to shake. Kaya tensed, poised to run or fight at the slightest moment’s notice, eyes fixed on the suspicious bush.

  
  


A single, heartrending shriek broke the silence and Kaya was flying over the forest floor before she knew it. She didn’t bother to check behind her, intent on simply getting _away_. Her muscles screamed in protest and her lungs burned as she traversed the uneven terrain. Another cry arose from not too far behind her, and she knew her pursuer was close on her tail. She felt a wave of intense fear threatening to break over her, but she refused to let it cripple her, instead using it to fuel her flight. 

  
  


She spotted the stream through a gap in the trees up ahead and ran even faster. If she could get across the stream, the water might at least deter the _tapaka_ from crossing, and even if it did, the current might wash it away. 

  
  


Just as she was coming up on the river, its sparkling waters tantalizingly close, a screech rended the air from ahead of her on the left. Another _tapaka_ crashed through the shrubbery, cutting her off from the path to the river. Kaya cursed and looked around wildly. Fighting the _tapaka_ wasn’t an option, especially with an open wound for the virus to enter through. If she wanted to survive, she would have to keep running, or…

  
  


Her eyes landed on a great oak tree, not too far away. She made a run for it, feet pounding the forest floor. As she approached the oak her heart thundered away in her chest and she felt as if she was becoming lighter and lighter, until she was almost flying. A prickling sensation caused her to look down briefly. 

  
  


Kaya’s eyes widened. Something odd was happening to her body; as she watched, her skin and jumpsuit melted into a thick coat of light grey fur and her hands shrunk until they were smaller than an infant’s. A bout of constipation hit her like a sack of potatoes, until it vanished and Kaya suddenly became aware of an appendage she hadn’t had before. She didn’t dare look back to verify, but she didn’t need to. Her vision suddenly became clearer, and the oak in front of her much larger. 

  
  


The sounds of the _tapaka_ crashing through the underbrush assaulted her much more sensitive ears, and without a moment’s hesitation, she scaled the oak within seconds, using her newly improved sense of balance and agility to her advantage. Reaching the top branch, she hid in a cluster of leaves. She peered down at the base of the trunk, waiting to see if her pursuers would be able to follow her this high. 

  
  


Fortunately, the _tapaka_ didn’t seem to be capable of climbing, even though they must have known Kaya was hiding in the tree; they halted at the base of the tree and just stood there, unable to continue their chase but also unable to leave. Unfortunately, that meant Kaya also couldn’t leave. She lay on the branch, letting her heart rate go down, marveling at how much faster it was now that she was-

  
  


She bolted upright; in her panic, she had almost forgotten that she had transformed. She turned to look at her backside. She had a _tail_. She ran her tiny hands over the top of her head, coming into contact with small, round ears. She touched her snout delicately, noting its slight dampness.

  
  


So this is what they meant by surpassing limits.

  
  


It felt strange, being in a different form. But at the same time, it felt _right_ , like she was meant to exist in this state. It felt strangely familiar.

  
  


She had passed the first stage, then; she had transformed successfully, and everything was in the right place. At least, it seemed to be. Her knowledge of lemur physiology was admittedly lacking. Her ears twitched as one of the _tapaka_ below stepped on a twig.

  
  


Now she had to figure out her Name. She had a feeling it wasn’t going to be as easy as the Queen had made it sound. She wished they would have just told her what to do, but it seemed like every Lemurian on the ship was fond of explaining only the bare minimum, leaving the rest up to Kaya to infer. Or maybe it was because there wasn’t an easy explanation that would make sense. Either way, Kaya was in a bit of a bind; even if she knew what to look for, she wouldn’t be able to leave this tree while the _tapaka_ were there. 

  
  


Kaya studied the surrounding area. There were a bunch of tall trees, but none of them were quite close enough for her to safely jump onto. She didn’t know the limits of her current form well enough to gauge whether she’d make the jump or not, so jumping wasn’t an option. Next, she looked down where the _tapaka_ were wandering around the base of the tree. There was a chance they wouldn’t chase her in her lemur form, but she wasn’t willing to test that particular theory. 

  
  


The only real chance she had of escaping was by distracting the _tapaka_ long enough for her to descend the tree and into the underbrush, where they wouldn’t be able to see her. All she had to do was find something to distract them.

  
  


Kaya sat on her haunches, looking around her. Spotting what she was looking for, she scampered lightly down the trunk to a lower branch and tugged on the acorns hanging from it. They parted from the tree with a little resistance, still green. Kaya swept her tail around and curled it around the acorns. Tensing, she drew her tail taut before letting it spring forward like a catapult, launching the acorns through the gap in the branches and praying they would land far enough and loudly enough to distract the _tapaka_.

  
  


It worked- or at least, it _kind of_ worked. One of the _tapaka_ shot off towards the noise, but the other one stayed put. Kaya cursed internally, scampering to reenact the ruse with some newly picked acorns, shooting them in a different direction. It worked, the remaining _tapaka_ shuffling off to investigate the disturbance. Unfortunately, the other _tapaka_ returned by the time the other one had left. If Kaya had been able to groan, she would’ve. She tried a few more times, but the _tapaka_ would never leave at the same time, and she wasn’t fast enough to flee during the narrow window when they were both away from the tree. 

  
  


Just as she had begun to give up on escape, a shriek was heard in the distance, and her captors shuffled off at full speed, answering with scratchy cries of their own. Kaya took the chance and shot down the tree trunk and into the woods, scurrying under as many bushes as she could in an effort to stay hidden. She eventually had to pause to catch her breath, sides heaving as she darted into a small cave, flattening herself against the wall.

  
  


“Hello.”

  
  


Kaya whirled around. The cave she had run into already had an occupant; a girl, wearing a deep indigo dress. Her eyes were a molten amber, and her skin looked like it had been crafted from porcelain. She didn’t look surprised to see Kaya, nor did she seem to realize she was speaking to a lemur.

  
  


“I was wondering if you’d come,” she rose to her feet, Kaya noting that her feet were bare. Kaya shirked back, the fur on her back rising like a cat. She pulled back her lips, baring her teeth in a show of aggression. _Don’t come near_ , she warned. The girl smiled.

  
  


“Don’t be silly. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  
  


Kaya stared up at the strange girl. Somehow the girl felt familiar, as if they’d met a long time ago but Kaya couldn’t remember. The girl crouched and held out her hand, as if enticing a cat. Kaya wasn’t a cat, she was a _lemur_. She stared at the hand with disdain and the girl laughed, a melodic sound like wind chimes. 

  
  


“Always so proud,” she chuckled. She walked to the entrance of the cave, ignoring the way Kaya reared up on her hind legs threateningly as she passed. 

  
  


“I can help you find your way back.” 

  
  


She looked at Kaya, tilting her head. _If you want to,_ her gaze seemed to say, neither pushy nor indifferent. Kaya locked eyes with her, weighing her options. She could either follow a stranger or find her way back on her own and hope that the _tapaka_ didn’t get to her first. Neither option seemed very appealing. How did she know if she could trust the girl?

  
  


The girl simply waited, content to let Kaya ponder a decision. She stared unblinkingly at Kaya as she stood. The more she stared, the more familiar she felt to Kaya. Something about her luminous amber eyes and the way she spoke nagged at Kaya’s memory. Somehow, she felt as if she could trust what she said; she would help Kaya find her way back.

  
  


Coming to a decision, Kaya lowered herself so that she was standing on all fours again. The girl smiled and crouched, holding her hand out again. Kaya hesitated before darting up the girl’s hand, up her arm, and onto her shoulders, where she settled next to her neck. 

  
  


“Away we go,” the girl murmured.

  
  


The girl set off at a pace that was neither hurried nor slow, her bare feet making no sound as she crossed the forest floor. Kaya stayed alert, still not fully trusting the stranger yet. For all she knew, she could be heading into a trap. 

  
  


Every now and then, the girl would make a sudden change in direction, and Kaya would hear the sound of a distant shriek in the direction they had just abandoned. It was like she knew where the _tapaka_ were before the sounds had even reached Kaya’s sensitive ears. Just who was she?

  
  


“He taught me how,” the girl said quietly. “He taught me what to look for. What to listen for. That’s how I know where they are.” She turned her head slightly in Kaya’s direction. “You will learn too. In time.”

  
  


At last, they came to the river that Kaya had crossed when she first arrived. The girl delicately stepped from stone to stone, crouching to let Kaya scurry down her arm onto the pebble-lined shore when she reached the last stone. As soon as Kaya made contact with the rocky ground, she felt the fur on her body begin to recede, and soon enough she was her normal self again. She heaved a sigh of relief before facing the girl again. She hadn’t budged from the last stepping stone and was staring wistfully at Kaya, amber eyes catching the sunlight.

  
  


“Aren’t you coming?” Kaya asked.

  
  


The girl shook her head. “I belong on this side. I cannot go where I am not remembered.”

  
  


Kaya nodded slowly, bewildered. “Okay. Well.. thank you.” She scratched her head sheepishly. “And sorry. For doubting you.”

  
  


The girl let out a tinkling laugh. “You’re just as I remember.”

  
  


“You know me?”

  
  


“And you know me.” The girl gazed at her with a twinkle in her eyes, watching as Kaya pieced it together.

  
  


“What’s your name?” Kaya breathed.

  
  


The girl laughed. “You know that, too,” she said, hands clasped behind her back.

  
  


Kaya frowned, opening her mouth to refute her claim and say _No, I don’t know_ , but at that exact moment the wind picked up. There must have been a lot of pollen in the air, because Kaya sneezed, eyes squeezing shut and elbow reflexively coming up to cover her mouth. When she opened her eyes again, the girl was gone, and with it, her answers. 

  
  


Kaya sighed. Leave it up to her bodily functions to interrupt an important moment. “Just great.”

  
  


As she was about to leave, something glittering on the stepping stone caught her eye. She leaned across and picked it up. 

  
  


It was a tiny silver key. Something niggled in Kaya’s mind, one of her long forgotten memories struggling to resurface. She cast around, searching for the memory. 

  
  


_As long as you have this, I’ll always be with you_.

  
  


She gasped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> ny vadiko - my Queen  
> ny zanako - my children  
> anonyme - Unnamed (French)  
> nihaona tsara - well met
> 
> \----  
> TMI:
> 
> Miangaly means 'she who sings'
> 
> Dihy means 'she who dances'
> 
> Lyra and Aria are like twins, except they aren't twins. If that makes sense :)
> 
> \----
> 
> Whew... what a beast. This chapter took me the longest to write BY FAR, I'm sorry if I kept you waiting, I just wanted to be sure that I was able to include everything I wanted to.
> 
> Now you know... there's more than one ship... ooOoOoOoO
> 
> Who else can relate to having exam anxiety? *raises feet* 
> 
> Have you ever looked at a field of tall, green grass and then gone, yeah.... yeah... I want to.. TOUCH.. I MUST TOUCH DA GRASSIES
> 
> Also I can 100% see myself ruining an important moment with a sneeze. Allergies ain't got nothing on significant moments. COVER YOUR SNEEZE WITH YOUR ELBOW, GUYS, DON'T USE YOUR HANDS BC THAT'S GROSS AND ALSO DON'T NOT COVER BC THAT'S ALSO GROSS
> 
> And please, for the love of god, do the same thing when you cough. 
> 
> Stay safe y'all, it's corona time
> 
> \----
> 
> What's Kaya's Lemurian Name?
> 
> Keep reading to find out!

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo yeah, this fic will be a bit of a slow burner, but I promise there will be lots of action later on :) 
> 
> Anyways, I'm excited to keep writing this fic ahhhHHHHHHH. I haven't done storytelling in about, idk, 7 years, so forgive my rustiness. Nevertheless, I hope you guys enjoy! :)


End file.
